Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis
by CSHayden
Summary: Spy games and intrigue form the backdrop for love and life in the Legion as a reluctant major meets his match.
1. In the Pleasure Domes

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts.

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

**_I. In the pleasure domes of Orestra VII:_**

Lights in myriad colors and intensity painted artificial fireworks on the inner shell of the pleasure dome where a vast non-stop party ran night and day for galactors and sentients from all over the known worlds. Three of the city-sized environmentally sealed structures dominated the swamps of Orestra VII, each with its own specialty and linked to a central spaceport.

The turbo lift from the spaceport opened onto the main concourse of the casino zone and three travelers emerged. A Jentekian and two humanoids traveling together were not too unusual but it was their intensity of purpose as they scanned their surroundings that attracted attention. They might be dressed as civilians but the way they carried themselves suggested a uniform of another sort.

As the travelers passed by the open entryways of the casinos, they could see myriad beings trying their luck at the gaming tables. It became clear to anyone watching that the three males were searching for something. The working girls peddling their services along the strip caught on and were quick to take advantage of the situation.

"Hey there," purred a grey-skinned female wearing as little as possible. "Looking for a party?"

"Hey-hey, I'm up for it, baby, if you are-"

"Jugger, get your mind out of the gutter."

"Geez, Torie, give me a frigging break! I just spent a month in the stockade!"

The third member of their party ignored the tawdry advances of the pleasure girls. He was distracted by the silken tones of a Jentekian croon that cut through the babble of the multi-species crowds around the gaming tables. Major Sarigar raised his body above the galactors milling around him. A blue-skinned native of Jentek, his species had been genetically engineered with a humanoid torso tapering to a snakelike tail to survive in heavy gravity conditions. Balancing on his tail gave him a higher vantage point to look for their objectives. A second verse of the song began to waft over the crowd and he spied a door opening and shutting farther down the concourse.

"Did you see something?" asked his second-in-command as Sarigar sank back down. Torie Montroc was born to wealth- handsome and well-featured by human standards with his sandy hair and blue eyes -- but was serving in the Legion by his father's orders. He certainly looked more at ease in his civilian clothes than the third member of their party, a green-skinned bruiser with solid black eyes from Thrax named Jugger Grimrod.

"I'm not sure," Sarigar admitted. "Our contact was told to expect a Jentekian and I just heard music from my homeworld. I think we should check it out."

"Anything's better than getting pushed around out here," Jugger grumbled, glancing back sullenly at his missed opportunity. "It's all I can do not to pop one of these rammers."

"This way," Sarigar commanded and led the way through the crowd, whipping his twenty foot long tail about to break a trail for the others.

The sound led to a nightclub area just off the main casino floor. After their eyes adjusted to the dim light, they made their way to a table to the far right of the stage.

"The place is packed," Torie observed. "There are a high number of Orestran nobles as well as tourists."

"Yes, but that's not uncommon." Sarigar settled in a chair facing the stage and coiled his tail up underneath it. "A great deal of the Orestran economy in this sector is derived from its entertainment industry."

"Whatever they're payin' the help here, it's worth it." Jugger leered at the humanoid server passing by with a tray of drinks. "Woo-whee! Come to pappy, sugar!!"

Fortunately, Jugger's outburst was covered by a fanfare by the synth-band performing in a pit by the stage. A native emcee held his hands out for silence.

"And once again, noble sentients, our siren from the stars, the lovely Naja!!"

The three undercover Legionnaires joined in the applause as the house lights dropped. A low thrum began the backbeat as a single spotlight began to slowly pan up a length of azure skin. The arrowhead point of a sequined hem glittered as the light shimmered along a sheer black dress. Bare shoulders rolled with the rhythm of the song as waves of dark curls danced over them and her face - Sarigar had forgotten just how exquisite females from his planet could be. Naja had tilted almond-shaped eyes framed with vermillion face markings over her brow ridges, the corners of her eyes, and along her cheekbones.

Jugger whistled. "Damn! Remind me to take my next furlough on your homeworld, boss."

On stage, the singer began to harmonize with the band, weaving her melodies around the synthesized tones. Sarigar found himself fighting to control his own reactions. Crooning was a traditional form of music from his homeworld that used certain musical sounds to subliminally influence the listener. Naja, whoever she was, was using her ability to control her audience and he was particularly susceptible. A sequence of tones sent a wave of pleasure through his body, making his tail spikes shoot out and rattle violently against the floor tiles before he could control it.

Abruptly, the singer looked in their direction. A brief look of consternation crossed her face for a second but she replaced it with a sultry look as she continued to sing. As soon as the song ended, she slinked off the stage, weaving through the crowd towards them.

"Sarigar?" Torie murmured warningly.

"Bide." Sarigar raised a two-fingered hand. "Let's see what she wants."

Jugger chortled, spraying grogh on the table. "Maybe you can slip her some tail, eh?"

"Can it, Jugger." He couldn't really find fault with the Thracian's crude innuendo however; the Jentekian female had male heads turning all over the room and she was becoming more alluring as she grew closer. Sarigar forced himself to concentrate on the mission.

"Well, well," she purred in a low contralto when she reached their table, "you're a sight for sore eyes, fellow homeworlder. I couldn't help but notice you from the stage."

"Your music drew us away from the gaming tables," Sarigar rejoined smoothly. "Would you like to join us?" He glanced at Torie, who started to rise.

"I'd thought you'd never ask." However instead of taking Torie's chair, Naja chose to settle herself on Sarigar's lap, winding her tail sensuously around his. "I have legions of adoring fans," she murmured against the curve of his ear. "Where do you boys stand?" She began to trace a familiar double triangle pattern on his chest where his Legion insignia would normally be.

"I think it's safe to say that you can number us among them," Sarigar replied back, pleased that he could keep his voice steady; it had been a very long time since he'd had a female this close and her scent beneath the perfume was provoking a profound physical response. Boldly he slipped his arm around her and traced the counter sign against her silk-covered hip. "What do you say to a private show?" Jugger made an indiscriminate noise somewhere between a leer and a laugh.

Naja unwound herself from his lap and stood, pulling him up with her. She smiled sweetly. "I think that can be arranged. Come with me."

As they followed the Jentekian entertainer backstage, Sarigar began to notice a subtle transformation. Naja snatched a clip off a storage case, pulled her hair back, and secured it with the clip without slowing her pace. Likewise, she grabbed a jacket from the back of a chair and pulled in on with the same efficiency. Coming around the final turn of the corridor, they found themselves facing a semi-circle of helguns aimed directly at them. Some of their opponents wore Legion uniforms, some had civilian attire from the nightclub and various places in the pleasure dome, but the curious thing was that all of them were female.

Whipping around to face them, the flirtatious veneer of Naja melted away and Sarigar found himself being stared down by a steely-eyed professional. "All right," she snapped out crisply, "I'm Captain Jaikira, Defense Intelligence, commander of Artemis Squad. What the hell does HQ think it's doing, dropping you in our laps?"

"Major Sarigar, Captain Montroc, Legionnaire Grimrod and it's not your place to question your new orders." Sarigar was mildly irritated by the way she'd toyed with him in front of his men and by the way she was now acting like he was merely an annoyance. "We've discovered that the Orestans have been using this resort world to smuggle weapons to the Harkilons."

"No kidding, major - who do you think has been filing the reports?" Jaikira said sarcastically as she crossed her arms over her chest. "We've had the planetary governor and the trade minister under surveillance for months. They've got a supply depot set up in the swamps south of the domes. There's been an increase in shuttle activity between there and the third moon recently."

"Third moon?" Torie asked curiously.

A tall avian female that they had seen in the orchestra pit with the synth band spoke up in a fluting voice. "The third moon goes into occlusion twice a year -- makes it nearly impossible to scan for incoming traffic. The Orries have a base up there for civilian contractors - or so it says on their government forms."

"We'll need a guide to take us out to this depot," Sarigar said curtly. "Artemis Squad is welcome to join us in the assault there while the battlecruiser goes after the moon base. Central Command wants all Harkilon/Orestran smuggling to be shut down in this sector." He handed Jaikira a compupad. "Here are your orders."

Jaikira's nostrils flared and her face darkened, making her facial markings stand out. "Major, a word with you, please?" She stalked over to a door and jerked it open.

"I'm tellin' you," Jugger muttered as Sarigar passed by, "she wants it..."

The moment he closed the door, she let him have it. "What it is?" she demanded. "Is it because Artemis is an all-female squad? Do you have something against women, major?"

Sarigar gaped at her. "I beg your pardon?" The last vestiges of any illusions he might have had about her were disintegrated by her display of temper.

"Why are you being so damned condescending?" Jaikira threw up her hands as she stalked around the room. "We've been stationed in this gilded cesspool for nearly two cycles, major. This operation belongs to Artemis and we have earned the right to see it through, not Nomad. How dare you take this from us?"

"Need I remind you that I outrank you, captain?" Sarigar promptly got in her face. "There is no room for prima donnas in the Legion, Captain Jaikira, so I suggest you get a grip on your attitude problem right now. My orders were given to me by Legion high command, and as your senior officer, it is up to me to decide how to carry them out."

"Then let Artemis handle the assault on the supply depot while Nomad takes out the base on the third moon," Jaikira suggested. "We've been doing reconnaissance on that place since day one -- where'd you think your information has been coming from? We know all the best ways to get in and out of it, scouted the swamps for the most accessible trails and identified the worst of the nasties you could run across in there."

Sarigar considered her suggestion for a moment. There was some logic to it; Artemis was familiar with the terrain and any opposition they might encounter. Nomad had a Legion battlecruiser waiting behind one of the outer moons for the lunar assault. However, what little he'd seen of Artemis squad so far inspired confidence.

"This is a Legion operation," he said finally, "while Artemis falls under the jurisdiction of Defense Intelligence. This is a job for seasoned combat veterans, not undercover operatives. I couldn't risk untried troops."

"I see." From the frosty tone of her voice, it was clear that she disagreed but Jaikira was controlling her response. "Just because we work behind the scenes gathering information, you think that Artemis is not up to the same combat proficiency standards?"

Before Sarigar could respond, the door snapped open and one of Jaikira's operatives dressed as wait staff burst in. "Captain! T-man is upstairrrs and he's got the whole entourrrage."

"Here? Tonight? Strange..." Jaikira wrinkled her forehead in thought for few moments. "But that could work nicely to our advantage." She swept past Sarigar, shedding the jacket and fluffing out her hair. "Jez, take these guys out to the swamp. Tell Devra to assist them and then get back here. I'll need you to --"

"Excuse me, Captain, but what are you talking about?"

She turned back to Sarigar with a glimmer of Naja's sweetness. "You said it yourself, major -- we're Defense Intelligence and you're Legion. Fine -- if you're going to storm the swamp base, you'll need to do it tonight. I'm going to buy you some time."

"How?"

"The Orestran trade minister, Tumauk Reis, is upstairs and he never goes anywhere without most of the higher staff from the base, because he's a snob -- he only socializes with other elite Orries. That means that you've only got the junior officers and the grunts to deal with out there in the swamp."

Sarigar glanced sharply at Torie who began to contact their ship. "All right, captain," he said to Jaikira, "this is a plan that I can agree to. How long can you keep them occupied?"

"Two, three hours at the most. The minister usually likes to make a night of it." Jaikira gestured to a green-skinned female wearing black leathers and a helmet that concealed all her features save her glittering beetle black eyes. "This is Sergeant Jez Shivblade. She'll take you out to the swamp staging area. Our patrol will take care of you from there."

Snapping her fingers, the tiny woman ushered them down a narrow passageway that wound around the stage. She said nothing as they emerged in a side alley and was silent still as she trotted ahead to a seemingly dead end alley.

"Stuck-up little bint, ain't she?" Jugger muttered. "Now that snakegirl, that was quality pootang, eh, major?"

Like a shot, Jez Shivblade turned back, marched up to Jugger, and sucker-punched him right in the gut. She began gesturing with elaborate and expressive hand signals, expressing her extreme displeasure with his choice of words in regards to her commander.

Torie pulled Jugger to one side. "I'm sorry," he said. "You don't appear to be deaf -- why are you signing?"

Jez lifted her chin and unzipped the high collar of her jacket to reveal an ugly twisted scar across her throat. _"Harkilons,"_ she signed simply in the hand gestures of Legion battle language.

"Damn," Jugger swore. "I hope you gutted the Harkie bastard."

She answered with a particularly vicious grin.

"Where are we going, Shivblade?" Sarigar asked impatiently. "We need to meet up with the rest of the squadron."

In answer, Jez pulled a controller out of her jacket pocket and pointed it at the dead end. The air shimmered and the bricks melted away to reveal a dark grey four-man skimmer, modified from a standard Legion model to blend in with local vehicles. She scampered up the side and swung into the driver's seat to begin the start-up sequence.

The three Legionnaires climbed aboard and were strapping in as she was blasting off. Jugger and Torie grabbed onto the sides and Sarigar wrapped his tail around the base of his seat. Jez merely flipped the visor down on her helmet and grinned as she maneuvered into the city traffic lanes.

A harsh metallic-sounding female voice came over the skimmer speakers. "Welcome to Shivblade Airways, please keep your hands and feet in the vehicle at all times, and hang on to your ass."

Sarigar gave Jez a curious look. "I thought you couldn't speak."

"I really can't outside the skimmer." She flicked a cable that was jacked into a socket at the base of her throat and connected to the skimmer panel. "I've got an implanted synthbox but something's wrong with my tonal modulators -- can't get it repaired here without being tagged as Legion technology. F'marrl figured out a way to use the skimmer's sound system to enhance it so if you have questions, ask now."

"Then we'll use this time wisely," Sarigar commented. "What do you know about the recent Harkilon/Orestran alliance?"

"We had the standard Legion databurst last month -- something about a Orrie/Hark thing on Ragullan XI. The Orries, of course, are denying everything." Jez frowned at a city patrol skiff and edged away from it. "The captain manages to keep up on the Orestran side of things. The trade minister has a thing for exotic women, the fat bastard."

"What about this swamp base?" Torie asked from the back seat. "What are its defenses?"

"It used to be an old river fort," Jez answered. "This part of the continent is crisscrossed with waterways. Not much good for anything until they put in the pleasure domes. The Orries kept most of the old fort intact and built the new facility on top of it. Standard gun turrets and guard rotations, as far as I know. You'd have to ask Devra, that's Lieutenant M'tombe, for details. She comes from a swamp world so she's been the primary officer in charge out there."

"Hey!" Jugger called out. "You've picked up three more city guards back here."

"No kidding -- tell me something I don't know." Jez grimaced and swerved around a building, doubling back and changing course. Two of the patrol skiffs nearly crashed into each other at the intersection as Jez dodged a slow-moving transport and skimmed up the side of a building making a turn.

Jugger grimaced. "Now I remember why I left Thrax -- all the bloody-be-damned women drivers!!"

"Oh, shut UP, you big baby!"

Jez used a pyramid-shaped building as a ramp and shot up and over six lanes of commuter traffic. She reached over and typed in a command on her console. At once, an opaque shield covered the top of the skiff and there was a faint hiss as the cabin pressurized.

"Hold on to your stomachs," she said grimly. A visor slid down on her helmet and lit up with a neon green grid. "Now it gets tricky."

Diving at a steep angle, the skimmer shot down toward the artificial river that ran through each of the pleasure domes. It hit the water like a knife, splitting the water cleanly. Curling her lip back in a snarl, Jez shifted her propulsion unit into aquatic mode and reset the turbines.

"Where are you taking us?" Sarigar demanded. "Getting in here was not that difficult."

"Yeah, but getting out to the swamps is." Jez steered the skimmer towards a series of large conduits. "The city guard doesn't allow non-registered vehicles outside of the domes. All tourist access is regulated via the spaceport. Terrestrial travel is prohibited."

"Why?" Torie asked from the back seat. "This is an M-class planet -- it's not like there's a hostile environment to worry about."

"You got me," Jez said with a shrug. She activated a seal on a seemingly welded shut conduit and its concealed iris opened to admit them. The shuttle lights shed eerie illumination on the floating bits of vegetations and garbage in the water. "It took us nearly three months to find this route into the swamps. If you try to go out the regular way, there are Orrie patrols surrounding the perimeter." The sudden surge of water as the door sealed behind them made visibility impossible for a few minutes. "So, we put in our own back door."

"Ingenious," Sarigar commented. "So basically, your operation is two-fold -- Captain Jaikira monitoring the city and Lieutenant M'tombe out in the swamps."

"We take it on rotation, actually," The water was beginning to lighten a bit. "If you'd arrived last month, you would've been talking to Jaikira in the swamps, Devra would've have been at her city assignment, and F'marrl would have been wearing the glittery dress." She glanced at Sarigar and grinned. "You just lucked out tonight, eh?"

Sarigar chose to ignore that. Jugger, unfortunately, decided to continue that line of conversation.

"Naw, everywhere the major goes, women just throw themselves at him," he said jovially. "Ain't that so, Torie?"

Montroc cleared his throat as though as he was stifling an amused response and focused on the readout on the gauntlet he'd been wearing under the civilian jacket. "Lieutenant Arrick is moving into position, major. We should relay our coordinates to him so we can meet up with the strike team."

"Shivblade?"

"Just a moment, major," she murmured. "We're nearly out of the tunnels. Devra will need few minutes to locate our homing beacon. We have to move around a lot out here."

"Why?"

"Not sure - the Orrie patrols have been going farther afield the last few weeks. Luckily we've kept the swamp operation mobile but we've had some close calls. Our orders are not to engage them, just observe."

The skimmer rose through a sheet of floating duckweed. Slowly, Jez rotated the vehicle as it hovered over the water. "Scanning for hostiles," she murmured through the skimmer speakers.

As they completed the three-sixty spin, Torie's hand shot out. "There!"

Rising from the underbrush, seven shadowed figures stood and came towards the water's edge. They were all clad in camouflaged armor, the standard Legion black-and-white replaced by mottled green-and-brown. The leader was a large framed individual with a bulbous head complete with large-nostriled snout. It wasn't until she stepped into the dim moonlight that her liquid brown eyes became visible and she spoke in a mellifluous voice, that the men from Nomad recognized her as being female.

"Major Sarigar? Lieutenant M'tombe - I've been briefed on the situation. We've just received a coded message for launch coordinates, sir. I took the liberty of relaying the information. I've instructed them to come in dark to avoid the Orries."

"Very good, lieutenant." Sarigar nodded approvingly at her proper military bearing. "We'll be getting underway as soon as the rest of my team arrives."

"Perhaps you'd like to review tonight's data, sir." Devra handed over a compupad for Sarigar's inspection. She glanced over at Jez. "Patrols are hot tonight, midge. We've nearly been tagged twice, so you'd better watch it going back in."

"Will do, Dev." Jez added an ambiguous series of gestures that made Devra give a snorting little laugh. The little Thracian tossed her a salute as she took the skimmer back up and around.

"What was that?" Torie asked. "I understand Legion battle talk and some standard sign language but some of her gestures are a little peculiar."

Devra turned her liquid brown eyes on him as she looked down in amusement. "Well, sir, I've known Jez since before she lost her voice, and trust me, no matter how she communicates, her language is still pretty salty."

"Ah." Torie raised an eyebrow and grinned. "I don't want to know, do I?"

"Most males generally don't," Devra said diplomatically. She turned to Sarigar who had been going over her data. "Any questions, sir?"

"What's all this about 'biological anomalies?' It doesn't seem to have any significance to your mission."

"That's data for Lieutenant F'marrl and Medic Ree, sir," Devra answered. "Central Command authorized them to do biological research on the local biosphere for the Legion science branch." She shrugged. "I came out of the engineer corps - if I can't build it or blow it up, I don't worry about it. I'm here to do a job."

Sarigar's wrist unit beeped. He checked it and then looked up into the sky. "That's Lieutenant Arrick with our troops. He's putting down in a clearing not far from here, to the north."

"With your permission, sir." Devra took the compupad back and pulled up a map. "Would these be the coordinates?" she asked as she handed it back.

Studying the map, Sarigar nodded. "Yes, that's it."

"Kataki! Yosh! Take the swamp bikes - you're on outrider duty." Devra instantly began to put her troops in motion. "The rest of you, fan out. Major, you and your guys had better stick with me. We're going to have to move fast." She reached into a twisted bole of a tree and pulled out some blaster rifles which she tossed to the Nomad legionnaires. "You'd better take these."

"What it is?" Torie asked.

"That's where the Orrie patrols have been the thickest lately," Devra said, moving at a speed at odds with her size. "F'marrl discovered some pods there few months back but we don't know if there's a connection or not."

"Pods?" Sarigar asked. "Would that be the biological anomalies?"

"Don't know, sir," Devra answered as she led them on a twisting trail among the high reeds lining the edge of the swamp. "All I know is that the Orries don't take kindly to unexpected guests."

Following Devra's ungainly splay-footed gallop, the legionnaires slipped and slid along in her wake. They could just see the dim curve of the shuttle's hull over the trees as moonlight reflected off of it.

"There's something over here!" one of the other women called. "Looks like one of those pods."

"Yeah," answered someone else. "It's different - bigger somehow."

"Frag it!" Jugger swore and stopped in his tracks to kick at something. "What is this thing?"

Sarigar and Torie slowed to see what Jugger was looking at. The Thracian had put his foot through the top of a rough-textured ovoid, which was filled with slimy goo that clung to his foot as he drew it out. "Dee-gusting!" Jugger proclaimed vehemently. He froze in place for a moment and sniffed, wrinkling his nose.

Torie instantly went on the defensive and backed up to Jugger, his eyes searching through the darkness. "What is it?"

"Harkilons," Jugger rasped out. "All around us."

"Where?" Sarigar hissed. He had been farther up the trail and was circling back as he scanned the area through his infrared scope. "I don't see anything."

"Trust me, major," Jugger muttered, sweeping the underbrush with his gun. "It reeks t' high heaven o' Hark around here."

"Montroc! Warn off the shuttle," Sarigar said quickly. "That clearing is perfect for an ambush!"

A raw scream rang out from the left. Devra appeared on the top of the trail, having double-backed. Her soft brown eyes were white-rimmed. "Back! Go back!" she called out, even as she swiveled and fired behind her. "Artemis two to squad, check in!"

A frantic voice came over her comunit. "Dev, I've lost visual with Bezel! She's --" Her voice suddenly shut off. Devra bellowed and began to fire vehemently into the clearing below.

Sarigar swore under his breath and whipped up the hill to join her. What he saw staggered him - the clearing was crawling with Harkilons of all sizes, from full-sized adults to crab-like infants scuttling out of open pods. The Legion shuttle was scattering them in the backwash of its landing jets as Arrick reversed the thrusters to abort the landing.

"They're everywhere!" Devra called out. "Team, fall back! Retreat to checkpoint!" An adolescent Harkilon dropped out of a tree on top of her and she hurled it away with a sweep of her massive arm.

Bellowing into his comlink, Sarigar took charge. "Lieutenant Arrick!! Fire thermoblast charges into the clearing! Do it now!" He fired a line of suppressing gunfire to buy them some time. "Lt. M'tombe, come on!" He pivoted on his coils and saw movement in the trees. "Heads up!"

Torie and Jugger saw it too and fired. Leaves and bits of carapace fell like confetti as they struggled to re-group to a more defensible position.

"Devra!" crackled a voice over her comunit. "Yosh, here. Orrie patrols incoming east northeast! Two gunships and a transport!"

"Major!" Devra snapped. "The shuttle! The Orries will shoot it right out of the sky!"

"Arrick! Incoming ships!!" Sarigar snapped out. "Fire the thermocharges and take the shuttle up for air combat!!" He motioned to Devra with a sharp jerk of his head and they both started downhill to get out of range.

"But, major---"

"That's an order, lieutenant!"

Before he finished speaking, the thermo charges struck the hatching grounds and the concussive blast threw everyone to the ground. Bits of smoking Harkilon pattered down around them like heavy rain. Sonic booms and the sounds of artillery marked the arrival of the gunships as they pursued the Legion shuttle overhead.

Devra struggled to feet besides Sarigar and had just time enough to raise her weapon before she was hit full force in the face with a high-density particle weapon. Her lifeless body fell to the ground sizzling.

"Well, this is interesting," said the Orestran enforcer backlit by the landing lights of their transport. "We never expected to find such exotic vermin here in our swamps. This is an unexpected dividend for tonight's hunt."

* * * * *

Swiveling in place, Naja took a deep breath and looked across the room into the trade minister's piggy little eyes. Like many successful Orestrans, he'd finally bulked up enough to require a hoverchair but he was still lusting after her - that was clear by the repulsive way he was leering back at her and smacking his black tattooed lips like she was something tasty. Jaikira merely promised herself a good long soak in a bath later and let Naja get on with the business of seducing the elite Orestran noble. She merely gave a sultry smile and crooned an off-world love song to him.

The other members of his party, however, were raising warning prickles on the back of Jaikira's neck. The subliminal tones that she was using beneath the song normally generated a strong reaction from Orestran males but the four new nobles that had joined the trade minister this evening were simply sitting there, listening politely and looking around. She almost felt insulted.

Naja finished her song and sank into the low coil of a Jentekian bow. She switched off the amplifier on the combination translator/microphone she wore as part of her jewelry and whispered to her avian colleague in the orchestra pit.

"F'marrl? Any word?"

The synth player's feathered crest rose and fell. "I've been in contact with the ship. Everything is on schedule there. Nothing from the swamp yet."

"Strange. I thought sure that Devra would have called in by now."

"Yes, very strange. Shall I send some riders out to check up on them?"

"Jez isn't back yet?"

"No."

Jaikira frowned but the applause was dying down and Naja rose to meet her public. "Thank you, most honored nobles and guests from around the galaxy!" She let her chest swell and posed seductively as she beamed at them. Slithering out onto the catwalk that extended out into the club, she commented, "We have some dignitaries with us tonight - Trade Minister Tumauk Reis and friends. Minister, what may I sing for you and your honored guests?"

The trade minister delighted in attention and basked in the glory of the spotlight. "A selection from one of the more popular Orestran operas will be most appreciated, my dearest Naja," Tumauk said pompously. "You know the one that I like best."

"Of course, minister." Naja bowed her head graciously but underneath the façade, Jaikira was gagging. Only technocrats like the Orries could conceive a musical score based on mathematical formulae. Fortunately, when she sang it in its original language, it sounded better than the translation. She glanced back and made a face at F'marrl, who promptly rolled her eyes and sighed. Between the two of them, they were hardily sick of Orestran opera.

F'marrl struck the opening notes of the song and Jaikira composed herself to hit the impossibly high tones of the first stanza. She decided to cheat a little and embellish it with a rising trill that was easier on her vocal chords. Rolling her tongue against the roof of her mouth, she gave it everything she had, noting with some satisfaction the reaction of the tourists in the audience. They, for the most part, were here for honest entertainment and not engaged in a double-sided game of espionage.

Swinging into the bridge between verses, Jaikira gave a sly come hither look over her shoulder to Tamauk and was astounded to see the new nobles riveted on her. There was something about the way that they were staring at her that made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She decided to conduct a brief experiment and sang the next verse exactly note by note as written. The nobles sank back into their seats, seemingly disinterested. The next verse she tried the trilling variation she had used on the opening and their response was dramatic. All four of the nobles nearly jumped to their feet and - Jaikira's eyes widened - the pale yellow face of one noble wavered, showing a flash of lumpy brown skin.

She smiled as if she hadn't seen a thing and soared into the chorus, using the full range of her voice. Nodding graciously to a humanoid applauding in the first row, she glanced back at F'marrl. The avian musician was looking at her, puzzled with Jaikira's improvisations.

_"Four Harks,"_ Jaikira signaled as part of an elaborate dance move as she writhed sensuously for the crowd. _"Full alert. Takedown."_

F'marrl nodded and tapped on a comunit concealed as part of her synth board. Jaikira turned back to the audience in a sweeping gesture as the song reached its crescendo and emoted for all she was worth. She wanted to pump up the adrenaline level of the crowd as much as possible. Minister Reis was eating it up, waving his pudgy hands as though he was directing her performance.

Her left earring gave three short buzzes and F'marrl's voice smoothly merged with hers, taking over the lead vocals. One of the more interesting things Jaikira had learned about her science officer was that F'marrl had an inherent knack for mimicry and an excellent if untrained vocal range. By using F'marrl to support her own performance, Jaikira found she could use her subliminal crooning in ways that her instructors on Jentek would have considered blatantly unethical.

She dropped the main melody line and began to weave a set of Harkilon mating calls into the tune. The resulting clicks, pops and high-pitched trills merely sounded like an interesting percussion line but the transformed Harkilons reacted so strongly that it nearly jerked them right out of their exoskeletons. Tamauk Reis was staring at them in dismay as he began to notice subtle changes in his companions' appearance.

"In position," Zora's voice purred in her other ear. "Jez is outside. She's securrring Tamauk's vehicle."

Jaikira smiled and nodded as if it was part of the performance. One of the Harks had his foot on the edge of the minister's box as if he was going to jump. A quick check of the room had four members of her squad circulating through the crowd. Jez appeared at the front door, her leathers mud-splattered. She had her hand on her hel-gun inside her jacket and a long knife held along her forearm in a discreet but deadly slashing grip. Jaikira smiled coldly at the Harks and began to croon in the fashion of a receptive female accepting the victor of a mating battle.

Abruptly, the Harkilon dropped his disguise as an Orestran noble and called to her, his carapace turning a rusty orange around the edges. One of the others tried to pull him back but he struck out at it viciously. Shrieking like a frightened child, Tamauk Reis tried to escape in his hoverchair, only to shift it into reverse and hit the back wall, leaving an impacted dent. Zora dropped her server tray and pounced on his bloated body to inject him with a hypospray. She perched on his lap while he was incapacitated and quickly steered his chair away from the action.

Jaikira and F'marrl simultaneously shrieked conflicting tones and blew out several speakers with the resulting feedback. Panicking tourists fled their seats and ran for the exits screaming. Jez vaulted over the back of a well-dressed dowager struggling to her feet to leap onto the abandoned tables to cross the room. She shot the two struggling Harkilons with her hel-gun, toppling the orange-tinged one into the orchestra pit. Crazed with lust, he tossed the local musicians aside and clawed his way on stage.

"Right," Jaikira said grimly. "Come and get it." She pivoted hard and used her tail to whip his feet out from under him. The Hark tumbled into the front row, bellowing in rage. F'marrl pulled a needler out from under her synthboard and fired along the top of the stage as he charged again. Riddled with narcotic darts, the carapaced alien threw himself back at Jaikira who dodged his hormone-crazed attacks with serpentine speed.

"I can't get a good shot!" F'marrl screeched.

"Secure the others!" Jaikira yelled back. She hauled back with all of her heavy worlder strength and let the Hark have it with a right cross, following it with a left upper cut to the chest that staggered him back. "I want some of them alive for questioning!"

She didn't speak soon enough. Jez Shivblade jumped onto the crazed Hark's back and buried her knife between his exoskeleton plates. Jaikira threw her hands into the air exasperatedly.

"Hey! What part of 'alive for questioning' didn't you understand?"

Jez shrugged apologetically and wiped her blade meticulously on the stage curtains. F'marrl climbed onto the stage and began examining the body.

Shaking her head, Jaikira yelled up to the minister's box. "Miah! Rhianna! Report!"

A red-headed humanoid appeared over the railing. "Jez got a head shot on one but the other two are lively enough. Miah is securing them now."

"And the trade minister?"

"Backstage with Zora, captain. She knocked him out and hijacked his chair."

"Clever kitten," Jaikira commented. She turned and noticed how intently F'marrl was examining the orange-tinted Harkilon. "What's the deal with him?" she asked. "Why'd he get so worked up into a froth?"

"I'm not sure, captain," the avian scientist said slowly. She called up to the balcony. "Miah! I'm going to want to talk to one of those Harks!"

"All right - this one is resisting anyhow. We're bringing it down."

"Jez, give me your knife, will you?" F'marrl held out her hand. The silent Thracian did so warily. Both Jez and Jaikira looked on with interest as F'marrl heaved the corpse over and began to pry up some of his dorsal plates.

Whistling to get Jaikira's attention, Jez signed, _"What IS that smell?"_

"I don't smell anything," Jaikira commented. "Well, other than dead Hark and swamp muck. Where'd you pick up the mud anyway?"

_"There was a big commotion out in the swamp just when I was trying to come back,"_ Jez answered. _"I had to leave the skimmer in one of the commercial tunnels and hike in."_

"This is interesting," F'marrl said to no one in particular. "Spermatophores."

"What?"

F'marrl delicately scraped the underside of one of the Harkilon's plates and came up with a pearl grey gelatinous glob on the blade of Jez's knife. "Spermatophores - seminal receptacles for the purpose of procreation." She looked up into the confused faces of her comrades and rolled her eyes. "It's a sexually active male - figure it out."

"Ugh...," Jaikira said, wrinkling her nose while Jez stuck a finger in her mouth and gagged. "I thought they were asexual for some reason."

"There's a lot we don't know about Harkilon biology." F'marrl looked up as Rhianna and two other members of Artemis brought the conscious Harkilon onto the stage. "We do know that they have a definite breeding cycle and that they need certain environmental conditions that can't be generated artificially. This coloration," she tapped the orange carapace, "is indicative of a prime breeding specimen."

Jez snorted and pointed at Jaikira as she laughed silently. _"First major hardass and now this,"_ she signed. _"We need to bottle your strange power over males!"_

"Not funny," Jaikira growled. She turned and glared at the other Harkilon. "What is this one doing so far from home in this condition?" she demanded in the clicks and trills its native language. "Why is it here?"

Sniffing, Jez walked all around the live Harkilon. _"This one smells funny too. Different."_

"Yes," agreed Zora as she walked up with a medical scanner in hand. "Verrry strrrange." She ran her medical scanner on both the live and dead Harkilon. "This one," she indicated the dead one on the stage, "was rrready to brrreed. This otherrr has done so alrrready."

"The swamps - something I read in a scientific paper once speculated that Harkilons' reproductive cycle never evolved beyond the need for their primeval conditions." F'marrl glanced up, her round yellow eyes wide and bright. "What if Orestra VII has those conditions? What if the Harks are breeding brood troops here, behind the lines in the Galarchy?"

"Didn't Devrrra say that the arrrea arrround the swamp base has been morrre heavily guarrrded in the past few weeks?" Zora asked. "That arrrea to the west is verrry similar to the Harrrkilon home worrrld."

"Yes, and I was never able to get an example of those pods we found there. They were stuck to the ground with some kind of secretion."

While Zora and F'marrl tossed around theories, Jaikira kept her eyes on their captive. Harkilons were not the most expressive of beings but there were subtle nuances to look for if one knew of them. The only indication that she had that it was disturbed in any way was by the jerky twitching of its mandibles and the subtle changes in color. It was wearing a translator collar so she knew it understood very well what being said.

"That's it, isn't it?" she asked in Harkilon. "The Orestrans don't know it yet but you've selected this as a Hark brood world. It's got everything - climate, shelter, food - and the pleasure domes provide the cover for the operation."

The Harkilon didn't say a thing but it slowly, deliberately cocked its head and stared arrogantly at her.

"Great," Jaikira muttered to herself. "Those legionnaires are walking straight into a hive of Harks and I sent my people with them."

"What do you want to do?" F'marrl asked. "The battlecruiser is scheduled to hit the moon as soon as they clear the planet. The swampies will know something's up when they lose their communication link."

Jaikira shot a look at Jez leaning against the wall in her muddy leathers. "And Devra?"

Jez threw up her hands. She looked at the circle of faces around her and reluctantly began signing. _"I don't know. Major hardass had a shuttle of soldiers arriving and Devra's crew was set to take the lot of them in. That's the last I saw of them."_

"Ram it to hell and back." Jaikira tapped her tail against the wall. "There's nothing else for it - we've got to go there after them, the sooner the better." She glanced around. "Zora, bundle up the T-man for a trip -- central intelligence wants to have a long chat with him. You're in charge of pulling the plug here. Call for an extraction team."

"Rrright, captain."

"F'marrl, do you know if Devra's crew prepped those charges like we talked about?"

The tall avian nodded slowly. "I believe so. I've got the passwords to her files. I'll check."

"Do it." Jaikira began to roughly braid up her hair. "Jez, you break out the hardware. I want everyone in full gear. The Harks and the Orries are going to be on full alert and we'll need everything we've got."

Jez made a particularly vulgar gesture. _"We gonna ram it to 'em?"_ she asked, raising her eyebrows hopefully.

"Hey, you know me," Jaikira said as she smiled coldly. "I've always liked a big finish."

To be continued in **_"Part II: Artemis Rising."_**


	2. Artemis Rising

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts.

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

**_II. Artemis rising:_**

"So, major," Jugger said as he relieved himself in a convenient hole in the stone floor, "what's the plan?" He was unconcerned with the presence of the three female members of Artemis squad that had been captured with them. They all were staring pointedly in some other direction away from him.

"I'm thinking," Sarigar replied curtly. "We don't have many options."

"Arrick is bound to have notified the battlecruiser," Torie said in a low voice. "With Zeerod as his gunner, he should have been able to shake the Orries."

"Agreed, but we can't rely on conjecture."

"Captain Jaikira will know something's up when we don't check in on schedule," one of the Artemis team said. "She'll be here."

"You are--?" Sarigar asked.

"Private Kataki, sir." The olive-skinned humanoid held her chin up proudly in spite of the ugly bruise where one of the Harkilons backhanded her during capture.

"Well, Private Kataki, I'm afraid I don't know what to expect from your captain. I prefer to base my strategies on facts, not wild cards."

Kataki snorted and smirked at him. "Sometimes, major, wild cards turn up when you least expect them." The other Artemis legionnaires took similar attitudes.

A pair of Harkilon guards passed the cell, crossing paths as they went in different directions. Jugger watched them through narrowed eyes. "We haven't seen an Orrie since they brought us in," he commented. "Wonder what's up with that?"

"Orestrans are very status oriented," Kataki answered. "They may deal with the Harks but the Orries always make sure that they're on the top of the food chain."

One of the Harkilons overheard her and turned back to the holding cell. "You think you're so tough," it said in guttural tones, "but you Legion scum are just so much meat. Once you see what we have in store for you, you'll wish you died in the swamps with the others."

Behind the Harkilon guard, a round grill in the stone floor lifted up silently and a sinuous dark shape rose from it like a shadow. Pulling a whisper-thin cable from her wristband, Jaikira was barely recognizable as the torch singer from pleasure domes as she pounced on the guard and deftly garroted him. She wrapped her tail around the Harkilon and rolled him away into the far wall as his body twitched in his death throes.

"Behind you!" Torie hissed.

As the other Harkilon charged, Jez Shivblade surged out of the sewer drain and drove both fists into the Harkilon's crotch as it passed. She produced a non-regulation knife with a serrated blade and drove it between his bony chestplates with ruthless efficiency, before bounding off to head off any other opposition. Both females were stripped down to hooded Legion skinsuits, wearing only gauntlets and weapon belts, and streaked with filth from their passage through the bowels of the fortress.

"Captain Jaikira!" Kataki staggered to the front of the cell. "Jez! Thank Ayal!"

"Glad to see you, Kat -- found your swamp bike wrapped around a tree." Jaikira looked past her into the pen. "Sanna, Bezel, get ready to roll. This is going to be fast." The Artemis operatives came to their feet, heavy set Bezel leaning on her teammate.

Rifling through the guard's belongings, Jaikira came up with a pass key and loped across the room to the holding pens. "Hello, heroes," she said tartly. "Are those hel-guns in your pockets or are you just glad to see me?"

"Captain!" Sarigar snapped as the doors went up. "This is not the time for jokes!"

Jaikira slapped a hand on his chestplate, leaving a dirty smear. "Hey! I just kidnapped the trade minister, swam upstream through a sewer, and your pet Thracian pissed on me. My sense of humor is all I've got that's keeping me going." She glared at him. "So lighten up, major!"

"You are going on report," Sarigar ground out.

"Whatever makes you happy." Jaikira proceeded to ignore him as she continued to unlock doors. "Where the hell's the weapons locker?" She flipped open her gauntlet and studied a schematic map on a tiny display screen. "Right, come on, ladies, let's blow this joint." Flipping her tail around, she started down the corridor in a fast, serpentine gait.

"Schematics?" Sarigar was incensed. "You withheld information?"

"Don't get your tail in a twist," Jaikira snapped back. "Devra had all the information that you needed but you let her be killed, now didn't you? I didn't come in here for you, pal -- I came after MY people!" Her facial markings glowed in the dim light. "I'll be damned if I lose anyone else, and if that just happens to include overbearing, pretentious hardasses like you -- so be it!"

The two Jentekians stood there for a few seconds, glaring at each other and snapping their tails. Ever the diplomat, Torie bravely intervened and attempted to defuse the situation. "You got here fast," he said tactfully. "How'd you know?"

Jaikira glanced at him and assumed her fast pace down the hall. "We knew something was wrong when Tumauk showed up with four shape-shifting Harks instead of his regular crew. I had no choice but to break cover. Two cycles of a perfect intelligence operation shot all to hell, thanks to you guys." She sighed bitterly. "Once we got out here, we came across your shuttle. Your Lt. Arrick said they'd got into a scrap with an Orrie gunship but they managed to come out on top."

"Damage report?" Sarigar snapped.

"Gunship managed to get some hits on the port engine and their comunit got fried. I left a couple of my techies to help with repairs and Arrick sent some of your guys to back us up. We came across Yosh and the rest of Devra's section. They filled us in about the trouble you had with the Harks."

They caught up with Jez who was trying to re-wire a door lock. She glanced up sharply.

"Weapons locker?" Jaikira asked. When Jez nodded, she passed over the key. "Open 'er up."

The door slid open and Jez immediately pulled out several bins containing an assortment of confiscated Legion weapons. Torie took charge of distributing them. Jez reemerged with a plasma rifle, a bandolier of throwing knives, and a machete. She beckoned to Jaikira, who went over to peer through the door.

"Oooh... just the thing," Jaikira commented. She disappeared into the weapons locker for a few minutes only to emerge with the strap of a vulcan cannon slung across her shoulders and a belt full of ammo clips. "Right, let's blow this place."

"Just a minute--" Sarigar started to say but she slid by him, following Jez down the corridor as she switched on her com unit.

"Artemis one to Artemis base, arrows are loaded, copy?"

Her com unit crackled back, "We read, Artemis one. Pulling the bow on your mark, over!"

"Captain Jaikira!" Sarigar was getting seriously irritated at being ignored.

"Just a minute, major," Jaikira said tersely as she took a monocle visor out of a belt pouch and hooked it over her right ear beneath the skinsuit hood. A few adjustments to her gauntlet and the visor suddenly glowed with a heads up display. "My demolition people mined the pylons on the river side of the compound as a contingency plan months ago. We're going to blow them and use the confusion for us to escape and F'marrl's group to launch an offensive. We'll need a three-on-three attack formation. Ready?" She heaved the cannon up and cocked it.

Sarigar comprehended her plan at once. "Everyone, hug the wall!"

"Artemis one to Artemis base, in three-two-one-**MARK!**"

The building rocked with a tremendous series of explosions even before Sarigar finished speaking. The plascrete floor became riddled with cracks and large clunks of the wall and ceiling fell around them. Jaikira whipped away from the wall and fired down the corridor as swarms of Harkilons bolted from various doorways, the recoil from the Vulcan cannon throwing her back on her coils.

"Jez!! Take point!!"

The short Thracian woman bared her teeth in a silent war cry and barreled down the corridor, vaulting over dead bodies as the others followed in her wake. Jaikira consulted her HUD display and pointed.

"This corridor, take the right passage!" she yelled at Sarigar. "Jez knows the way!"

"What of you?"

Jaikira grinned through the grime on her face and re-set the cannon. "Just venting a little anger, major. I'll be along shortly." Sparks flew as she mowed down the oncoming wave of Harkilons.

"Belay that," Sarigar said. He grabbed the back of her ammo belt and pulled her into the corridor with him. "You want to guard the rear, fine, but no grandstanding. I won't have it."

"Hey! You just really like getting me in a bitchy mood, don't you?"

"That hardly seems difficult, captain." he shot back. "Now follow orders!"

Jaikira snapped out an inarticulate phrase in vulgar Jentekian that thankfully did not go through the translator and continued to fire bursts of coverfire. She did, however, allow Sarigar to steer her by the back of her belt.

"Artemis base to Artemis one! Come in, over!"

"Artemis one, copy. Status?" Like they rehearsed it, Jaikira and Sarigar whipped their tails around the corner and leaned back to make up speed in long, loping strides.

"F'marrl reporting. Legion shuttles arriving, ETA imminent. Your status?"

"Exit stage right," Jaikira replied in what Sarigar assumed was code. "Jez is en route - visual?" She turned and fired a burst behind them.

"Checking."

"Major!" Torie had stopped at the next intersection to wait for them. "This way!"

A whizzing noise caused Sarigar to throw both him and Jaikira to the floor, bellowing a warning. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!!" Dust and smoke obscured the hallway, blocking their way.

"Montroc!!" Sarigar yelled into his com unit. "Report!"

"We're all right, Major, but the wall collapsed! How are we going to get you out?"

Jaikira was frantically flipping through maps on her HUD display. She blinked, stopped and backed up. "That's it," she said, breathing heavily. She glanced at Sarigar. "Can you swim?"

"Yes, but--"

"Then hang on!" Jaikira pulled a pair of grenades out of her ammo belt and tossed them down the hall to the collapsed section of the wall. She rose up and fired the last few rounds of the vulcan cannon at the floor in front of the dust-covered Harkilons coming out of the gloom. The grenades went off --- and the floor dropped out beneath them.

Sarigar managed to pivot and hit the water cleanly. Jaikira was not so lucky; she was unable to get free of the vulcan cannon in time and she sank farther into the murky silt. It was only by luck that the bubbles of her passing were close enough for Sarigar to notice in the murky water. He swam down and cut away the strap while large chunks of building fell all around them. Jaikira pointed towards open water and he agreed, following her to the surface in a fast, tail-whipping stroke.

They both gasped for air as they rose to the top. The swamp base was in ruins - two sides of it were nothing but great gaping holes billowing smoke and ashes. Jaikira had pulled herself up on a floating log and was coughing hard.

Sarigar swam over and joined her. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, still coughing. "Just waterlogged. Thanks for the assist." She pushed the hood of her skinsuit back and ran her hands over her thick braided hair. A snorting noise made her look up and frown. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing." Sarigar tried to stifle it but failed. There was a rim of bright blue all around the edges of her face, which gave her the air of a dirty clown. "It's just that I would have never imagined Naja the singer with such a filthy face."

"Wiseass." She reached over and delicately pulled a slimy piece of vegetation off of his shoulder. "You're one to talk. You're covered in swamp weed."

"Artemis Base to Artemis One!" F'marrl's voice squawked over Jaikira's com unit. "Where are you? Respond!"

"Artemis One to Artemis Base," Jaikira answered. "The major and I are in the drink but we're okay, over."

"Captain! Thank Ayal!" There was a clamor of voices in the background. "Jez led the others out just when we lost contact with you."

"Mission status?"

"Proceeding as planned. Nomad's taken prisoners on the northwest side of the building. Lt. Arrick got his shuttle airborne and is providing air cover. We're picking up the stragglers on this end. The battlecruiser reported a successful mission and they're sending reinforcements."

"Great job, F'marrl - tell everyone I'm proud of them." Jaikira looked around. "Send Jez with a swamp skimmer downriver for pickup, will you? The major and I are missing all the action."

"Will do!"

Jaikira pushed herself up on top of the log, using her tail to balance like a catamaran while she sat up straight. "Well, Major," she said as she covered her eyes against the bright morning light filtering through the trees, "what do you think of Artemis now?" The ruined fortress stood in stark relief now and as they watched, a pair of Legion shuttles zoomed in from above while another shuttle circled low on patrol.

"Not bad," Sarigar admitted, "for a bunch of intelligence operatives, captain." They both spotted the skimmer coming towards them and Sarigar pushed the log out into the channel with powerful strokes of his tail.

"Well, between the two squads, we managed to shut this thing down solid." Coyly, she looked back over her shoulder at him. "So, am I still going on report?"

"Yes." Sarigar met her direct gaze. "But I believe I may be revising parts of it."

"Not too much, I hope." Jaikira smirked. "My superiors already know that I'm no angel." She stretched out an arm and waved the skimmer over. "It's just not me."

"Now that, captain," Sarigar mused, "I can believe."

****

**_To be continued in "Part III: Downtime on Greelbase"_**


	3. Downtime on Greelbase

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts. 

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

****

**_III. Downtime on Greelbase:_**

Besides him, Torie Montroc stifled another yawn and privately, Major Sarigar had to agree - these mandatory intelligence briefings were deadly dull. The rat-faced bureaucrat that was currently speaking was didactic to a fault, droning on about obscure points of Orestran and Harkilon politics. Sarigar had finally resorted to taking out his personal compupad and jotting down a few more lines of the Jentekian verse that he wrote in his spare time.

The intelligence chief mercifully cut the politics discussion short. "Thank you, Captain Fremmick. We have new information on the Harkilon/Orestran cabal on thanks to the work of Artemis squadron working undercover on Orestran VII. Captain Jaikira headed the operation and will present her findings."

Both Sarigar and Torie sat up at mention of her name. Gone was the elaborate hair and costumes; a slim, serpentine figure in the black-and-silver uniform of Defense Intelligence took the podium. Unlike the previous speaker, Jaikira cut directly to the facts without meandering or getting sidetracked. She listed names, numbers and incidents in a precise manner that both impressed and distracted Sarigar. He hadn't forgotten how the infuriating female had affected him in their first meeting and when he'd looked up her in the Legion registry in the course of putting her on report, he'd found that her achievements balanced her demerits. Given her poise on the podium, she had more than earned her reputation.

"Quite a difference," Torie commented. "She's got more faces than an Audelian thespian."

"Indeed," Sarigar agreed, "although we shouldn't be surprised. This is the exactly the same kind of ingenuity that she showed on Orestra VII, both in the swamps and on the stage."

"She certainly knows how to play to an audience," Torie nodded. "It's just a performance in a different venue."

Sarigar nodded. He tapped the viewscreen on his armrest to get a better view of her. The last time he had seen her, Jaikira had been directing the evacuation of her squad still covered in swamp muck. Artemis had shipped out on a different battlecruiser than Nomad, however, and he really hadn't expected their paths to cross again. He wondered if she would mention Nomad in her report and he soon had his answer.

"...Our mission was brought to a premature end by the arrival of Nomad Squad," Jaikira said bluntly. "After nearly two years of recording activity on Orestra VII, our reports finally gained enough attention that Legionnaires were dispatched for an investigation." She cast a sidelong look at the cluster of D.I. agents and Sarigar assumed that she was making a sarcastic dig at someone. "After some initial clashes over mission objectives, simultaneous attacks were scheduled against both space and planetary targets. What we did not know, and what the Orestran nobles that were under surveillance did not know, was the depths of Harkilon treachery."

"After extensive interrogations of former Orestran trade minister Tamauk Reis and of the two captured Harkilon Imperials, we learned that the Harks had been using the swamps of Orestra VII as breeding grounds inside Tophan Galactic Union space." Jaikira paused as a murmur rose around the auditorium. "My science officer, F'marrl, has documented this fact and you can find it in Appendix C, attached to this report in your compupads."

"As result, when a joint Nomad/Artemis venture attempted their initial attack, they were overwhelmed by unexpected numbers of Harkilon brood soldiers. It was necessary for Artemis to scrub our undercover intelligence mission and stage an emergency assault on the swamp fortress. Fortunately, before her untimely death, Lieutenant Devra M'tombe and her section had been able to mine the underwater supports of the base and we were able to use that as part of a three-pronged retaliatory strike. The distraction enabled us to free members of the first attack wave and to seriously debilitate the enemy until reinforcements from the battlecruiser were able to arrive."

"Well, she managed to put a positive spin on that situation," Torie said quietly, "and she made it sound like we were working together. That's a nice little bit of damage control."

"Yes," Sarigar said speculatively. "I wonder why?"

He continued to study her while Jaikira took questions from the floor. She seemed totally at ease in the spotlight, giving animated responses that while factual, also entertained, thus keeping the audience interested. An officer sitting not far from him asked a question and while he was speaking, Sarigar thought he saw Jaikira glance briefly at him. If she noticed him, she certainly didn't show it and continued on with her presentation.

The briefing broke up a short time later with a reminder for all officers to attend the ambassador's reception later that evening. Sarigar groaned - diplomatic functions were nearly as tedious as staff meetings.

Torie heard him and laughed. "If you'll recall," he said lightly, "I'm under orders from General Gokk to tell you that, and I quote, 'There is no way Sarigar is getting out of missing another one of these things, so tell him to get his sorry tail decked out in his dress greens now!'"

"Yes, I remember," Sarigar sighed. "I was there when he said it."

"It's a shame that Jugger got demoted," Torie continued, "because I think the general was looking forward to parading him by the high brass and all those dignitaries."

The thought of the psychotic Thracian at a diplomatic function was so ridiculous that even Sarigar had to laugh at it. "Yes, now that is exactly the sort of joke that Trillian Gokk would delight in. Pity Jugger disliked being an officer so much." He turned off at the administrative offices. "I've got some reports to file. I'll meet you and the squad for arms drills later."

Montroc tossed off a salute for the benefit of the officers passing by. "Will do, sir!"

* * * * *

A few hours later, Sarigar finally found the time to visit the mess hall for some well-deserved nourishment. Jentekian metabolisms required a careful balance of nutrients and calories or else they became lethargic. To keep from dropping into an unexpected stupor, Sarigar had adapted to a precise schedule of several small high-protein meals. He collected a nutrient shake and glanced about for a secluded seat to take his ease. His eyes passed over her the first time but on a second sweep of the room, he noticed Jaikira sitting by herself near a window, typing on a compupad and sipping a drink.

It had been so ... odd to see her at the meeting, dressed in the somber silver-and-black of Defense Intelligence. The officer's jacket hung from the back of her chair so it was clear that she was currently off-duty; regulations required the jacket to be worn at all times while on duty. The uniform was more conservative than what he'd seen her wearing on Orestran VII but its modesty made Jaikira seem more attractive somehow. Before he realized it, Sarigar was halfway to her table.

He cleared his throat. "Captain? Is this seat taken?"

Jaikira looked up, startled for a brief moment before the corners of her mouth quirked up. "Isn't that my line, major?" She gestured to an empty seat. "Please join me. It's feeding time at the zoo, eh?"

"Something like that." He settled down, winding his tail up in a coil around the base of the chair to keep it out of harm's way. "I see you've splurged on your food rations." Instead of settling for a nutrition shake, Jaikira had number of small dishes spread out on the table.

"I'm enjoying being back in civilization." She picked up a dish of ghostly white vegetable sticks and offered them to him. "I couldn't get Jentekian food while we were working undercover. Try these _misli_ stalks - they're very good."

Sarigar took a few and tried them. The delicate-looking stalks were crisp and had a surprisingly spicy aftertaste. "Not bad," he admitted. "They'd go well with _Zhaa'tok_ stew."

"I could never get the ingredients for that offworld, but you're right, it would." Jaikira saved the document she was working on and set the compupad aside. "So, major -- what military protocols have I broken now?"

"None that I know of."

Jaikira laughed. "What? Not even one? A month back in civilization and I'm slipping." She took up her drink and looked at him over the rim of the glass. "I thought that was you in that meeting this morning. You looked so serious."

"I was impressed."

"Why?" Her eyes danced.

He shrugged and pretended to study the activity outside the window. "Your presentation was very concise and informative. I hadn't realized that your team had done so much surveillance on Orestra VII."

"You'd be surprised how much snooping you can do while slinking around in a sequined dress."

The memory of their first meeting made Sarigar flick his tail subconsciously. Her face was innocently blank but he had the feeling that Jaikira was laughing at him. "I know you flirted with me then on purpose," he countered, using her point-blank questioning technique back at her. "Why?"

"I wanted to see what kind of male you were," Jaikira answered with a shrug. "The quiet ones go one of two ways when confronted; they either flee in terror or they reveal their inner beast."

"So you're saying I'm beastly?" Years of command experience helped Sarigar keep a straight face.

"Very." Jaikira proved two could play that game. "You certainly didn't run, not with the way you had your hand on my ass."

Sarigar chose not to dignify that with a response. "So that would make us Beauty and the Beast."

"That depends on whether you turn out to be a prince or not."

"Point taken."

"Anyway," Jaikira drawled out, "that whole business on Orestra VII worked out in the end, in spite of our little personality conflicts."

"Montroc and I were pleased that you didn't mention the more unsavory aspects of that mission."

"Well, I knew you hadn't reported everything I did so I thought I'd return the favor. I know that I have no regard for rank and I have a bad habit of speaking my mind. Most gung ho types like you can't stand me." She took on a very knowing look. "So, major, is that the only reason you decided to sit with me?" She leaned her cheek on her hand and fluttered her eyelashes like a coquettish schoolgirl.

Snorting at her presumptuous attitude, Sarigar stared back out the window. "You just happen to have the best view of the incoming shuttles at this table, that's all." He pointed. "For example, that ship is bringing in the envoys from Auron system for the ambassador's reception tonight."

"I've heard it's going to be quite a party," she commented. "Are you going?"

"Unfortunately." He sighed and took a sip of nutrient shake. "If I don't show up at some of these diplomatic functions, I miss out on chances to be tapped for promotion. I've never had much patience for office politics."

"Well, you'll have to tell me how it goes," Jaikira said. "Artemis only arrived on base a couple of days ago. I wouldn't know anyone there."

"Oh? I didn't know Defense Intelligence quartered their troops here."

"Well, we've been in the field so long that the head office wants our combat status re-evaluated." She rolled her eyes. "You'd think they'd actually read the reports and figure it out for themselves that we know our stuff but no...."

Sarigar snorted. "If they'd seen you strangle that guard, they certainly wouldn't have had the nerve to suggest it."

"Hmm, there's a cheerful thought." Jaikira toyed with the bracelet on her right wrist and pulled out a thin cable. "Pity it would only work once."

The conversation dwindled into pleasant small talk until finally both of their com-units went off at once.

"Blast," Jaikira muttered, "Artemis is scheduled for a session on the obstacle course. Luckily, Jez is bringing my armor."

"Nomad is set to go on the target range," Sarigar replied as he uncoiled and stood up. "If you don't mind, captain, I'll share a ride with you."

Jaikira tucked her compupad and her jacket in one arm as she slid away from the table. "Are you sure, major? Soldiers will talk..."

"Not if they don't want to land extra grunt duty, they won't," Sarigar said grimly. He was rewarded with one of the most beguiling smiles she had delivered yet.

Nomad and Artemis had convened at the central point for most of the Legion's practice areas, a bare bones facility consisting of observation posts and first aid stations. Sun-baked bricks lined the large courtyard where individual squads were lining up. Captain Torie Montroc, Sarigar's second-in-command, was counting heads and double-checking their equipment. Nomad prided itself in always scoring high in the Legion marksmanship trials.

"Hur, hur, hur --- wouldja look at those bints over there?" Jugger Grimrod commented to no one in particular. "Ain't they from that Artemis squad, the one the Major's snakegirl heads up?"

Torie flicked a wary look at him. "Watch the mouth, Jugger."

"Hey, I'm just askin!'"

Zeerod looked up from his perch on the ammo boxes. "I do believe you're right, Jugger. I think I'll go say hello." The kangaroo-like alien with the distinctive diamond-shaped markings over his eyes stepped out jauntily across the pavement with his new cybernetic legs gleaming in the sunshine.

"Damn," Jugger muttered. "It just ain't fair. If I went over there, they'd just spit in my face."

Pausing in his work, Torie joined his fellows in watching Zeerod working his charms on the ladies and being greeted quite amiably by members of Artemis squad. Species and gender had long desegregated the Legion but it wasn't unusual to have a few squads that were all male, or as in the case with Artemis, all female. They had proven to be highly effective in undercover and surveillance, as well as vicious fighters.

"That little green mutie keeps glaring at me," Jugger grumbled. "Wonder what's got her panties in a bunch?"

"Perhaps you it is that she likes," Meico suggested mildly, proving that the pink-skinned, four-armed medic wasn't above needling his teammates. "Thracian, is she not?"

"Bah, you're barking up the wrong tree," Jugger snorted. "She barely comes up to my chestplate and she's ugly to boot."

"How do you know?" Torie asked, joining in the teasing. "You've never seen her with her helmet off."

The whine of a shuttle landing mercifully drowned out any reply. Both squads looked with interest to see who would disembark. The hatch opened on the far side, away from plain view so it was a minute or two before two black clad tails slithered into view.

Jugger held out his hand. "Sarigar's snakegirl, like I said. You guys owe me some creds."

"A fine couple they make," Meico commented. "Most positive emotions I am sensing."

"Looks promising," Zeerod agreed as he returned to their side of the compound. "Put your best manners forward, lads, for the major and his lady."

"Zip it, legionnaires," Torie advised. He headed over to landing pad just as Jaikira's diminutive bodyguard trotted past on the same errand. As he approached, Torie noticed the careful distance that the two Jentekians were keeping between them - almost too regulation, too careful to keep from touching. He kept a knowing smile off his face as he saluted.

"Major, Nomad is all here and accounted for, sir. Ready to hit the target range."

"Very well, Captain." Sarigar glanced at Jaikira. "You remember my SIC, Torie Montroc, Captain Jaikira?"

"Yes, of course." Jaikira returned Torie's salute. "I'm looking forward to breaking Nomad's time on the obstacle course today."

"You may find that difficult," Sarigar replied.

"Not really," she shot back. "You've got to beat Artemis' scores on the target range. We set the record yesterday."

"Sounds like we've been challenged, sir," Torie said, clearly amused.

The green-skinned woman at Jaikira's elbow snorted and made several rapid hand gestures.

Jaikira interpreted for her mute aide. "Jez says, 'You're on, pretty boy.'" She arched a browridge at Sarigar. "So, loser buys the grogh?"

Torie exchanged a look with his commander and replied, "Works for me."

Sarigar, however, took the Jentekian female aside and said quietly in her ear, "Tell you what, if you score higher on the obstacle course than I do on the target range, I'll escort you to the reception tonight."

Jaikira grinned and whispered back, "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"This is just between you and me?"

"Yes."

"I certainly can't pass that up." Jaikira took the pack from her aide. "C'mon, Jez. We've got to check the current stats."

As the two females hurried away, Torie asked, "What was that all about?"

Sarigar shrugged. "I upped the stakes with a side bet." His face hardened and he was once again the no-nonsense leader of Nomad squad. He slithered down the line of troops, checking their ordinance.

"Nomad Squad?" called the attendant. "The target range will be ready in five minutes."

"We'll be right there," Torie answered. "Zeerod, do you have the major's armor?"

"Right here, sir." The old soldier came forth with a large case. "The down side to all those meetings is having to wear the dress uniforms. I remember how gaudy and ornate they used to make my ceremonial uniforms. The weight of the gold braid would make your shoulders sag to your knees."

Tuning out Zeerod while he droned on about past fashion statements, Sarigar went about the arduous task of donning his battle armor. He wondered how Jaikira was doing with hers and glanced across at Artemis squad. Someone had just helped braid up that mass of dark curls and she was shimmying the chestplate into place. Jez Shivblade was standing by with her gauntlets and shoulderpads.

Zeerod nudged Sarigar as the major stood watching Jaikira adjusting her armor across the courtyard. Jez caught him looking and glared back at him. "If I may say so, major," the old warrior said sagely, "I'm not so old that I cannot spot a lady of rare quality and breeding."

Jaikira said something to Jez and smiled back at them. Her expression made Sarigar's heart leap in his chest. "Yes," he answered slowly. "She is remarkable, isn't she?" He turned his attention back to putting on his own armor.

"I should court her properly if I were you." No other legionnaire would have dared to speak so familiarly with an officer but Zeerod had never really observed that protocol, having served as an officer in the Regulars prior to joining the Legion. "Such an elegant lady deserves a well-crafted and vigorous pursuit."

It was such an audacious statement that Sarigar had to scowl at the old warrior. "Zeerod..."

The kangaroo-like alien merely grinned like the rogue he was. "You've begun the chase, major, admit it."

It was an intriguing thought. Sarigar had enjoyed talking with Jaikira in the officer's mess surprisingly well considering how much she'd irritated him on Orestra VII. Aside from a purely physical attraction, he didn't think he was that interested in her. Zeerod was imagining things, no doubt, but he chose to indulge the old soldier. "Possibly," he said, "but aren't you the one that's always going on about being an officer and a gentleman?"

"True, all true." Zeerod held out the gun belt to be put on. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, sir."

* * * * *

"He offered to take you to the reception?" F'marrl repeated incredulously. "But he put you on report!"

_"And he's such a hardass,"_ Jez signed. _"His troops call him old snake. Too reg!"_

"I know, I know, I know!" Jaikira replied as she tucked her weapons into place. "He's arrogant and overbearing, I know, but just look at him! He's got those broad shoulders and a dimple in his chin and he's not bad-looking when he smiles, okay, which is rarely, but I can work on that --"

_"She's got it bad,"_ Jez signed disgustedly and waved both hands away from her.

"Look, just score higher than Nomad today, and they'll treat you to drinks later." Jaikira shot a look over her shoulder across the compound and smiled slowly. "I can kick his ass easy, and then we'll see just what he's up to."

Jez made a rude noise in the back of her throat, and estimated a certain length between her hands.

"Oh, thank you SO much for the visual aids," Jaikira retorted, shaking her head. "How am I supposed to look him in the face after that?"

_"Like YOU would be looking that far up!"_

"That's it!" Jaikira said disgustedly. "Jez, you're up first and you'd better get a perfect score!"

"Forrr what it's worrrth," Zora purred as she gathered her gear, "Zeerrrod, that old charmerrr helping the majorrr with his arrrmor, says Sarrrigarrr looked up yourrr files. He's currrious about you."

"Really?" Jaikira thought about it a moment and smiled slyly. "What else did Zeerod say?"

Zora twitched her whiskers in amusement. "He is very chatty, that one. He's been with the majorrr forrr many yearrrs. We did not talk for long but I suspect he enjoyed talking to me. He seems perrrsistant."

Jaikira laughed. "Sounds to me like you may have a suitor of your own."

"No, no," Zora protested. "I have had my fill of rrromance, captain, thank you. I will leave that to young ones like you!"

* * * * *

"Um, Major?" There was a cautious tone in Torie's voice.

Sarigar continued to plug away at the target, meticulously framing the target by hitting just outside the rim. "Yes?"

"Your aim is a little off today."

"So it is," he commented. "Has Artemis finished its obstacle run yet?"

Torie looked around and yelled at Zeerod. "Check the monitor! Is Artemis done yet?"

Zeerod tapped a few keys. "Almost - Captain Jaikira is just finishing."

"And her score?"

"A moment -- she's coming over the finish line." He whistled. "Not bad. 492 out of a possible 500 and well under the time limit."

"Speaking o' which," Jugger said disgustedly, "you've got ten seconds left an' you ain't shot crap, major."

"Ah." Sarigar narrowed his eyes and neatly perforated his target, nailing several bull's-eyes in a row. "That should do it." The time buzzer went off and his score was displayed overhead.

"A 450!" Jugger exclaimed. "That's pitiful."

Torie, meanwhile, was looking at Sarigar thoughtfully with an amused smile on his face. "This has something to do with that side bet you made with Captain Jaikira, doesn't it?"

"But he lost!" Jugger was thoroughly disgusted. "And his score was what we needed to beat them." He slumped against the wall.

"We managed to tie them," Torie pointed out, "so I think Nomad and Artemis will probably just buy each other a round and call it even." He kept looking at Sarigar. "I still say that you were deliberately missing."

"Sometimes one must lose in order to win," Sarigar said simply with a straight face as he holstered his sidearm. "Haven't you ever studied your classic literature, Montroc?"

Zeerod clucked his tongue as he looked out towards the compound. "Tsk, tsk -- I think you'd better get out there, major. Someone looks rather excited about something."

Pushing through the crowd, Sarigar had an excellent view of Artemis squad coming off of the obstacle range. Jaikira was just pulling off her helmet and laughing at something that Jez was gesturing at her. She glanced his way and grinned through the grime on her face.

"A bet's a bet, major, and I won," she called out as they approached each other. "You're not thinking about going back on it, are you?"

"I wouldn't dream of it, captain" he replied mildly. "It's a diplomatic function so you might want to wash off that dirt off your nose."

Jaikira scowled at him playfully. "Ha! When I'm all dressed up, no one will even notice you." She smiled self-consciously as the other members of their squads began to mill about them. "So, want to meet between our barracks? What time?"

"Around nineteen hundred hours." Sarigar managed to sound casual in spite of the audience. "The worst of the diplomatic speeches will be over by the time we get there."

"You make it sound so appealing," Jaikira teased. "I'll see you later."

She brushed by him and he turned his head to watch her slither away with her tail curling and uncurling in a particularly flirtatious manner. He must have been smiling foolishly because when he turned around, Nomad squadron broke out in a riot of catcalls and whooping.

Sarigar let them get it out of their system before scowling and calling out, "All right, that's enough!" He shook his head. "Are you soldiers or schoolchildren?"

"Your bet was about taking her to the ambassador's reception?" Torie guessed with a knowing grin. "Why not just ask her?"

"She seems to like a challenge," Sarigar said with a shrug. "Besides, other than being Jentekian and officers, we don't have that much in common. I wasn't really sure if she'd be interested."

"A diplomatic function?" Zeerod stroked his beard and circled his commander thoughtfully. "This is going to take a lot of work."

"What is?" Sarigar asked suspiciously.

Zeerod merely raised one spiked eyebrow. At that same moment, Torie and Meico took the very same pose, all of them staring at him. It was then that Sarigar knew he was in very deep trouble.

**_To be continued in "Part IV: At the Ambassador's Reception"_**

****


	4. At the Ambassador's Reception

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts. 

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

**_IV. At the Ambassador's reception:_**

"Zeerod," Sarigar commented exasperatedly, "I am perfectly capable of getting dressed by myself."

"The ambassador's reception is not just an occasion, Major." Zeerod had appointed himself Sarigar's personal valet for the evening. He had promptly made himself at home in the major's quarters, pressed his formal uniform, and was busily polishing up the insignias that had to go on it. "It's a matter of pride for all of us in Nomad for you to look your best."

"It's never bothered any of you before." He was beginning to regret making that bet in front of both Nomad and Artemis squads. It seemed as if everyone was taking a perverse delight in his attraction to Jaikira. "Besides, isn't wearing all my medals too ostentatious?"

"Diplomats are easily impressed by glitter, sir. Just a moment -- hold still please." With tongue between his teeth, the old soldier carefully pinned the officer's insignia in place and aligned the rows of metals to match it. "Ten centimeters down from the shoulder, four over from the lapel -- perfect! Let's see, are we missing anything?" He began to walk around his commanding officer, clucking under his breath.

"Zeerod..."

"I know... nothing impresses a lady more than a sincere smile." The ears of the kangaroo-like alien perked up. "Let's practice, shall we? You can't have that scowl on your face when you pick up Captain Jaikira."

Sarigar growled and slapped a hel-gun off the desk into his hand with his tail.

"All right, all right!" Zeerod threw up his hands and headed for the door. "My work here is done. Have a good evening, major, and good luck!" He managed a roguish grin just before Sarigar took the safety off his weapon.

"Thank Ayal, my quarters have a separate entrance from the barracks," Sarigar muttered as he checked the fit of his dress uniform in the closet mirror. "I'd hate to think what kind of gauntlet I'd run in there."

He wouldn't have admitted it, but Zeerod had been useful in diverting some of his own nervousness. Sarigar seldom attended these social functions but it had been a suitable excuse to see Jaikira again, away from their squads. He took one last look to make sure everything was in regulation order and headed out the door. The conspicuous absence of Nomad squad in their barracks should have him realize things were going too smoothly.

They chose to waylay him at the corridor junction where he was to meet Jaikira instead. Nearly all the off duty members of Nomad were present, lingering around the hallways with some of their Artemis co-conspirators.

"Hey, hey," Jugger called. "Lookin' sharp, major!"

Sarigar scowled. "The next wiseass that says anything is going on report."

"Pity," a sultry voice from behind him said, "because I rather agree with him."

Pivoting around, Sarigar glanced back and froze. Instead of the formal uniform, Jaikira had chosen a floor-length black gown, cut off-the-shoulder with a bold slash of silver angled from left shoulder to right wrist. Her hair was loose and curled as it was the first time he saw her and Sarigar had to blink a few times before attempting to speak.

"I know what you're going to say," Jaikira said, beating him to it. "However, according to Regulation 576, uniform code beta clearly states that female officers have the option of wearing appropriate civilian attire in regulation colors in non-military social occasions, provided their rank and insignia are prominently displayed." She touched her hand to the silver captain's bars pinned below her left shoulder with two combat stars. "So, how do you like it?"

"It's very striking." Sarigar became painfully aware that everyone was hanging on his every word and sighed inwardly. "You look lovely."

Jaikira smiled and cast her eyes away. Her bodyguard, Jez, took this opportunity to whip out a nasty looking blade and gesture viciously at him in a mix of sign language. Sarigar recognized the Legion battle signals but the others were a matter of interpretation. Jugger cursed under his breath and moved farther back in the crowd.

"I'm assuming that means I'm supposed to bring you back at a decent hour?"

"Or she'll cut off your left testicle," Jaikira translated cheerfully, "and add it to her collection." She laughed and slid her arm through his. "Don't worry -- I'll protect you."

Sarigar cast a wary eye back at the diminutive Thracian. "Is she serious?"

"Oh, yes. Jez has quite a collection, starting with her first husband. She keeps them on a strand of molly wire in her locker."

"No wonder Jugger's afraid of her."

* * * * *

"Major Sarigar and Captain Jaikira!"

As their names were announced, Sarigar led Jaikira down the ramp into the vast reception hall. Quite a number of people looked up; his name had its own notoriety after the Hellscape disaster and the recent investigation into the Orestran/Harkilon alliance. It was clear, however, that Jaikira earned her share of appreciative looks as she slid along besides him. There was a trick of 'walking' side-by-side that all Jentekians learned in childhood that looked impressive to other species; it was simply common courtesy among their own kind. He caught a glimpse of them in a reflective surface and felt a strange sense of possessive pride -- with Jaikira on his arm; they made a striking pair, her beauty balancing his brawn.

"You do look beautiful tonight," he said quietly, as he nodded to an acquaintance in the crowd. "I just found it ... difficult to say so in front of my squad."

Jaikira laughed. "I totally understand. Artemis is like having a bunch of big sisters all trying to be helpful."

"I had to pull a hel-gun on Zeerod to get him out of my quarters."

"I'll have to try that sometime."

"Sarigar, you old snake!" The crowd parted, quite literally, for General Trillian Gokk, an enormous ursine warrior with a cybernetic eye. "You've been keeping secrets and here I thought I was your oldest friend! Trillian Gokk, at your service, milady." He beamed jovially at Jaikira. "Where did you find this lovely creature?"

"Swimming in a sewer on Orestra VII," Sarigar said wryly. "Captain Jaikira, commander of Artemis Squad."

"She cleans up rather well," Gokk shot back. "Hur, hur, hur."

Jaikira shook her head. "Oh, I can tell you two go way back."

"All the way back to officer's school, in fact." Gokk tossed back his honey wine and smacked his lips unabashedly. "However this is the first time that I've ever seen him bring someone to one of these wretched things." He nudged Sarigar and nearly knocked him over. "Finally settling down, eh?"

Before Sarigar could respond, Jaikira laughed. "Hardly -- he lost a bet to me at the training grounds and he was forced to bring me." She winked at him.

He shrugged. "I would have brought you anyway."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "You didn't lose on purpose, did you?"

"Maybe." He smiled back. "But not by much."

"Hmmph!" Jaikira pouted dramatically and poked him in the chest. "I demand a rematch!"

"Hur-hur-hur, you old snake!" Gokk waved a paw over the heads of some smaller guests towards the refreshment table. "I like this female! Come with me and I'll buy the drinks!"

Halfway to the bar, Jaikira was greeted by a fellow D.I. agent and stopped to chat. Sarigar went on with Gokk to collect their drinks. He found himself watching her out of the corner of his eye. Since it was a diplomatic function, there was a wide mix of species and genders present. There were even a few female officers wearing similar outfits to Jaikira's and he sighed in relief; he wouldn't have put it past her to bend the rules. He smiled pleasantly at an officer he barely knew and pretended to be interested in a conversation going on nearby.

Gokk snorted in his ear. "Gods, these things are dull, aren't they?" He managed to wedge his way into a spot at the bar. "You've done well though, bringing along your own entertainment and in a very attractive package at that! Hur!"

"Come off it," Sarigar said dismissively. "You act as though I've never been interested in females before."

"Oh, I've seen you look at them from afar," Gokk said amiably, "I've just never seen you get one within arm's reach in the last few years. You've been too much of a career officer for that."

"I guess that's true." He was silent for a moment. "Damned if I know how this happened."

"Hur-hur --- I know you better than that! I still remember that leave we took on Carras IV and that cabana girl you shacked up with for a week."

"Please -- that was when we were just junior officers."

Raised voices caught their attention. A high-ranking member of the intelligence corps had entered the room, his uniform resplendent with medals and silver epaulets. He was intent on dressing down Jaikira for some reason and her fellow D.I. agents seemed to be agitated and dismayed.

"Uh, oh-- " Gokk started to say but Sarigar was already halfway across the room before he'd finished speaking.

"--Regulation 576 beta? What utter nonsense!" Spittle flew as the words spewed from his mouth. "This is the sort of typical self-serving showboating that I've come to expect from you, Jaikira. When I've reported this, you'll be booted right back to your highborn family on Jentek in disgrace."

The markings on Jaikira's face were ablaze. "It is a legitimate option to the uniform dress codes," she ground out. "Look it up if you don't believe me, Fremmick."

"That's Captain Fremmick to you, and the fact remains that you were NOT authorized to be at this function," he continued viciously, thrusting his pointed nose in her face. "You are acting in defiance of a senior officer and acting against orders."

"Excuse me," Sarigar interjected coldly as his tail slashed down only inches from the officer's polished boot tips. "Captain Jaikira is here as MY guest. I will not have her being harassed in such a rude manner."

"See here! This is a matter of internal affairs --"

"That's Major Sarigar to you." He flicked his eyes over Fremmick's regalia. "I don't see any combat stars, soldier. What are you, assigned to barracks?"

"I, uh--" Fremmick's eyes widened. The variety of medals decorating Sarigar's chest, from the combat citations to the medals of valor, greatly outshined his own. He jumped when Sarigar flexed his tail spikes irritably.

"If I hear one word," Sarigar said deliberately as he leaned in towards him, "that Jaikira is on report over this, you will find yourself extremely unpopular." He rattled his tail spines on the floor. "Do you understand?" The unspoken message was that Sarigar was prepared to mop the floor with him and wouldn't think twice about it.

Fremmick nodded dumbly and backed off.

Sarigar held out his arm to Jaikira. "Come along, darling," he said pleasantly. "General Gokk is waiting to have drinks with us."

"Of course, dear," Jaikira replied demurely as she tucked her arm around his and swept grandly away. She managed to keep her composure just long enough for them to nearly reach the bar before bursting into giggles. "'Darling?' Did that word just come out of your mouth?"

He ignored that. "Was he serious? Are you not supposed to be here for some reason?"

"It's true that I wasn't on the authorized list," Jaikira sighed, "but I'm the only officer in my department that wasn't. Guess what son-of-a-bospor made out the list?"

"What'd you do to him?"

"I have no idea -- maybe he has a thing against assertive females, I don't know." Jaikira threw up her hands. "All I do know is that Fremmick has had it in for me since I was recruited to Defense Intelligence. He's a decent analyst but he's not a good field agent. I lucked out with my first few assignments but he thinks I stole them from him. He even protested my promotion to captain, because he said I didn't earn it." She shrugged. "So he finds little irritating things to do to make me miserable, the obsequious little worm."

"Why hasn't Jez added him to her testicle collection then?"

"She can't take what he doesn't have." Jaikira grinned impishly. "But apparently yours drag the ground."

"They do indeed, hur-hur!!" Gokk handed her a goblet of grogh before handing another to Sarigar, who was refusing to look at either one of them. "I heard your tail spikes rattling all the way over here." He chuckled under his breath at his friend's discomfort. "It's not like you to lose your temper like that."

"You know what I think of barracks soldiers pretending to be war heroes." Sarigar scowled and sipped his grogh. "Kira has more guts in her tailtip than he has in his whole body."

Unexpectedly, Jaikira slipped her hand back through the crook of his arm and brushed her cheek against his shoulder.

He raised a browridge. "What?"

She merely smiled and acted pleased with the world.

General Gokk exploded in a belly-shaking guffaw at the bewildered look on his old friend's face. Sarigar didn't understand either one of them at all.

* * * * *

As the evening wore down, a number of Legion officers found their way to more comfortable surroundings than the formal reception halls of headquarters. Jaikira steered him to a music club on the edge of the military zone and in spite of their different tastes in music, Sarigar found himself enjoying the experience. More than once, the owner of the club asked Jaikira to sing, always 'as a favor' for one patron or another. Her voice was just as amazing as he remembered, bringing a curious sense of euphoria that Sarigar decided that he could grow accustomed to.

"I've always meant to ask," Sarigar said as Jaikira sat down and drained her water glass. "Where did you learn to do that? With a voice like yours, wouldn't you be better off as --"

"--a concert soloist?" she finished. "My mother thought so -- her family has a history of producing stellar performers but she herself never had the knack. When I showed an aptitude for music at an early age, I was immersed in lessons -- singing, dancing, and theory. I felt like I was drowning. The harder I worked at it, the less fun it was."

"Sounds a bit like my sister," he commented introspectively. "I drove her away from me when we were younger because I wanted her to go off to university."

Jaikira tilted her head. "Well, you do tend to be overbearing."

"So you told me on Orestra VII."

"My opinion of you has improved since then." Her eyes danced even as she teased. "So what happened with your sister?"

"She fell in love with a bounty hunter but when he went to prison, Sarivil went back to school and now she's an anthropologist. We contact each other now and then but our jobs keep us busy." He signaled to the server to bring fresh drinks. "And what of your singing career?"

She laughed. "I deliberately messed up my audition to the Conservatory of Music and went off to university instead, earning certifications in linguistics and criminal psychology." She leaned in conspiratorially. "The singing is for when I feel like it."

"So it would seem." Sarigar stretched his arms out along the back of the booth and stifled a yawn. It didn't occur to him that his actions might be taken as an invitation.

"Okay, my turn to ask a question." Jaikira slid over and draped his arm over her shoulders, making an intensive study of his hand. "What's the deal with the gloves?"

"Standard Legion issue," he answered blandly, but he was intrigued by the casual way her shoulder and hip was touching him as she leaned against him and provided him with an interesting view. If he wasn't so mellow on grogh, he might have been shocked at her behavior.

"Not what I meant," she shot back. "I've never seen you without them, not even when you were eating." She looked up at him slyly. "Do you shower in them too?"

"No." Sarigar rolled his eyes. "It's just part of the uniform."

"If I were psychoanalyzing you, I'd think that these gloves are your way of putting a barrier between you and the world."

"Maybe I just have really ugly hands. Most soldiers do."

Jaikira made a face. "Or secretly you paint your fingernails red." She unfastened the cuff of his glove and acted like she was peeping inside. "Let's find out!"

"That's it," Sarigar said with a tired chuckle. "Time to take you home. If it wasn't for the fact that I've had more to drink than you, I'd say you were drunk."

"You wish." She gave him a piercing sidelong look that almost made him want to find out.

* * * * *

"Well, then," Sarigar said awkwardly as they came to the barracks corridors that would lead them in different directions. "I guess this is where we say good night."

"I expect it is," Jaikira replied. She leaned against the wall and studied him. "So am I going to have to pull rank or are you going to give me a kiss?"

Raising both brow ridges, he returned her look with amusement. "This is news. When did you get promoted?"

"This afternoon when you asked me out."

"Regulations state that there should be no public displays of affection between officers."

"That's only on duty." Jaikira slithered a few feet towards him. "Besides, depending on the kiss, I might not be affected at all, and therefore it would not qualify as affection." There was a distinct challenge in her eyes.

Taking a careful look around, Sarigar decided to take a chance. He leaned down and met her lips, nervously at first and then deepening as he felt her respond. It had been a long, long time since he'd had a female in his arms and the feel of her mouth on his made him thirsty for more. Her hands touched lightly on his forearms and glided up to rest on his biceps. He was careful to let his hands go no farther than cupping her elbows but he was tempted to defy regulations anyway.

"Well, put me on report," she murmured as they paused for breath. "I'm a PDA violator."

"Good," he answered back. "That makes two of us."

"Does it now?" Jaikira reached up and ran her fingers along his jawline. He turned his face and nuzzled her palm. She smelled intoxicating and he shuddered, making his tail spikes rattle on the floor. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Oh, Gar... has it been that long?"

Sarigar released her and turned away. "Yes." He fought to control emotions thought long buried - he didn't know his response to her pheromones would be this overpowering. Her arms encircled him from behind and he felt her cheek pressed between his shoulder blades.

"Then it's been too long."

He studied her two-fingered hands, so much more slender and graceful than his -- and then realized the main difference between them. He still had his gloves on. It hadn't really occurred to him before but maybe she was right; maybe they were a barrier that he habitually put up between himself and the world. Jaikira's hands were free to touch and feel and her freedom of emotion unnerved him. Slowly, he pulled himself from her grip and put a respectable distance between them. He could feel her eyes on him but he didn't trust himself to look.

"It's late," he finally said. "We should probably be checking on our squads."

"Torie and F'marrl can do that."

"Force of habit."

All that could be heard was the faint hiss of her dress as she moved away from him, heading for her corridor. "Still," she said lightly, clearly trying to put a positive spin on things, "I did have a good time tonight. See you around, major."

Sarigar waited until the sounds of her passing faded away before heading to his own quarters. He hung up his dress uniform jacket before collapsing in a chair. Her scent still lingered on his clothes and his head swam from all the grogh he'd consumed that evening.

"Stupid, stupid me!" Savagely peeling off the gloves, he threw them on the desk. "Why did I do that?" He sighed bitterly, berating himself for holding back. She had been more than willing - he could have been holding her still if he'd only had the nerve. Instead, the loneliness that was Sarigar's private hell bore down on him harder than ever.

**_To be continued in "Part V: Friendly Fire"_**


	5. Friendly Fire

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts. 

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

**_V. Friendly fire:_**

"Artemis is taking the field," Zeerod commented idly, as he took notes on the troops. Sarigar had decided to appoint the old warrior as his aide during maneuvers. It helped preserve Zeerod's dignity and if it consequently improved Nomad's time during the speed trials, so be it.

"So they are," Sarigar commented, feigning disinterest. "Neebo needs to check that battlesuit in for maintenance. The servos seem to be sticking." He swept the binoculars over the field, seemingly checking on Nomad but he wasn't satisfied until he was able to pick out Jaikira in the group entering the simulated battlefield. She was trying to lead her squad but there was another officer in the way trying to countermand her orders.

"What the hell is he doing there?"

"Who, Major?"

"Some rear guard D.I. officer," Sarigar muttered. He increased magnification on his viewer. It was Fremmick, all right; Sarigar remembered the unpleasant creature from the reception and so had General Gokk. It wasn't long afterwards that a directive came down mandating that all officers below the rank of major needed to have their combat skill ratings updated. "Stupid bospor doesn't have the sense to let Kira do her job."

"You know, I haven't seen Captain Jaikira around in ages," Zeerod continued. "How is she?"

"Fine, and keep your mind on work." The truth was that he'd been avoiding her. After the reception, he couldn't seem to come up with a reasonable explanation for why he'd pulled away from her when they both were clearly attracted to one another. He and Jaikira had been at a few officers' meetings but never were able to spend more than a few minutes to talk to each other, and awkwardly at that. It was disturbing that she could occupy his thoughts so thoroughly and it bothered him more than he cared to admit.

"I'm not sure you realize it, but that's the third time this week that I've heard you call her Kira." Zeerod was looking at him speculatively. "Omitting the family prefix is a term of affection in your culture, isn't it?"

Sarigar didn't answer but flexed his tail spikes irritably instead. He swung the binoculars back to see Torie guiding Nomad successfully through the maze of trenches. "Captain Montroc has cut ten seconds off Nomad's time -- well done. Where does that put us in the standings?"

"Edging over Devil squad," Zeerod commented, checking a nearby monitor. "They drew the early slot, unlucky rammers. At the rate the good captain's going, he'll raise the bar on the scores."

"Good."

"Of course, that will only last until Artemis finishes their run, eh?" Zeerod paused and there was a faint whine as his cybernetic eye refocused. "Major! What the devil is going on down there?" He shot a finger out, pointing downfield.

Sarigar looked back towards where Artemis was struggling through the mine field. Most of them were weaving around obstacles, cautiously navigating their routes to the next test area. Fremmick was standing up and yelling at them, totally oblivious to his surroundings.

"Is he insane? This is a field test with live rounds," Sarigar muttered, not taking his eyes away. "Zeerod, ping the ground judges at the mine field. Alert them."

"Too true, Major," Zeerod grumbled as he reached for the com unit. "I've never seen such a blue officer in my life."

Holding his breath, Sarigar continued to watch. To their credit, Artemis was ignoring Fremmick and following Jaikira's orders instead. It had to be clear to even unbiased observers who was the field commander and who was definitely not. Fremmick had just stepped on a gas mine and was starting to stagger back towards a ditch. Jaikira looked back at that moment and the alarmed expression on her face became carved in white hot laser beams on Sarigar's long term memory. Things slowed half-speed; she'd seen what Fremmick had not - the faint glow of a plasma mortar battery charging to fire.

"No."

Jaikira was yelling at him but Fremmick was ignoring her. She spun around and was using her tail coils to propel herself forward. Some of her troops had turned with her but were too far away to help. He could hear Zeerod arguing vehemently with someone over the com unit but the sound was like hollow shouting heard through a long tunnel. The plasma mortar flared - she had tackled Fremmick mid-section - he was struggling - she managed to topple him with an elbow strike to the inner knee - neon yellow burst indicating pre-firing - Jaikira had thrown Fremmick into the ditch - mid-air coiling of her tail as she dove for cover - the blinding yellow outline as the plasma charge hit, turning her twisting body into a stark black silhouette.

**_"JAIKIRA!!!!!!!"_**

The lenses of the binoculars shattered as he flung it away from him and threw himself over the side of the tower, taking the emergency ladder down. The hand rails whistled through his gloved hands as he plummeted to the ground. Over his com unit, Zeerod was barking orders like the brigadier general he once was.

"Medics!! Medics!! Man down!! Shut down the mine field!! Shut it down NOW!! Medics!! Medics!!"

Sarigar hit the dirt, shoving soldiers out of his way as he traversed the field. His sleeve caught in some razor wire but he jerked it free, unaware of the gash in his arm. He slid into the mine field recklessly, not caring whether the mines were active or not. Jaikira had been thrown several yards and was lying in a twisted pile in the mud. A sick, acrid smell of burnt flesh filled the air.

"Kira!!" Sarigar reached her only to have Jez stop him. He started to struggle with her but Jez pushed him back, her heels plowing deep ruts in the ground as she switched on her seldom-used synthbox.

"Major, you have to let Zora handle it!" Her artificial voice had been repaired but it still had a faint metallic resonance that grated on the ears. "The captain could have spinal injuries - look how she landed!"

The medic for Artemis, a felinoid from Siphan, was carefully scanning the length of Jaikira's body. She looked up and nodded, twitching her whiskers. "It's safe to move herrr -- get that gurrrney in herrre!"

Jez released him and he stood there numbly, watching as the medics sprang into action and loaded her limp body onto the hospital skimmer. Her arm slipped off the gurney and dangled lifelessly for a few seconds. One of the skimmer drivers had Fremmick's arm over his shoulders and was helping him into one of the seats. Besides him, Jez growled.

"Major Sarigar!! **_MAJOR!!_**" Zeerod had appropriated a staff skimmer and was waving him over. "Come on!!"

He vaulted over the side of the vehicle and pulled his tail in after him as the hospital skimmer pulled away. Zeerod let them clear the field before following. "Not to worry, Major. I know where they're going."

The adrenaline surge began to subside and Sarigar made himself breathe for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. His heart was pounding so hard that his chest hurt and his throat was raw but he didn't remember yelling. He couldn't seem to get the image of Jaikira lying there like some broken toy out of his mind.

"Major?" Zeerod held out a clean cloth from the skimmer's supply box between the front seats. "You might want to tidy up, sir. You'll frighten Jaikira looking like that."

"Thanks." He flipped up a reflective panel on the dash and it was then that he realized he'd been crying. The soot and mud from the minefield was there but streaks of blue skin showed cleanly all around his eyes and down his cheeks. "Oh, Ayal!" he swore under his breath.

"Didn't see a damned thing, sir."

Sarigar scrubbed at his face, painfully aware that he was showing a vulnerable side that he'd kept carefully hidden for years. "I suppose this will be a big hit in the barracks later."

Zeerod spoke up. "Hardly -- I doubt anyone would believe me." He slowed down to maneuver in traffic. "It hurts like hell to see someone you care about get hurt - worse than if you yourself had taken that blast for her. No one could witness something like that and be unaffected." He glanced over. "Incidentally, your arm is bleeding."

Twisting the cloth into a makeshift bandage, Sarigar tied it off by holding one end with his teeth. "When did I do that?"

"You probably did it when you set a new speed record going across the training field. I think you went over and through everything and everyone in your way," Zeerod commented with a chuckle. "Now I can guarantee that will be talked about!" He pulled in at the Medical Wing. "Any orders to pass on?"

"Tell Captain Montroc that he's in charge of Nomad for the time being." He slid out of the skimmer. "I'd also like Meico to come up here. I want his medical opinion."

"Will do." Zeerod reached over and grasped Sarigar's hand. "Good luck, sir."

* * * * *

_snikt_-KLACK, _snikt_-KLACK, _snikt_-KLACK, _snikt_-KLACK ... Sarigar had finally stopped counting the number of times he'd paced up and down the outside the OR waiting room flicking his tail spikes. The nurses had started to avoid eye contact with him after he snapped at the last well-meaning person who tried to take him away to have his arm treated. The first moment that there was word of Jaikira's condition, he wanted to be there.

"Major Sarigar?"

His head snapped up. His second-in-command, Torie Montroc, medic Meico, and Jugger Grimrod, were coming up the corridor. "Captain," he said curtly, "I'm sorry I missed the end of your field run. How did it go?"

"Top scores, major," Torie answered. He looked through the open doorway into the waiting room. "Any news?"

"None." Sarigar glanced hard at Meico. "Any chance that you can find anything out? The nurses just keep telling me that she's being treated."

"Perhaps," Meico said speculatively, studying the bloody cloth twisted around Sarigar's upper arm. "But first your arm I should treat."

"To blazes with my arm!" Sarigar snapped, earning a dirty look from one of the nurses. "It's not what's important right now!"

Meico merely crossed his upper pair of arms over his chest and put his lower arms on his hips as he regarded his commander patiently. "If information you want, treating your arm first I do." The empathic alien's words were mild but firm.

Sarigar glared at his medic for a few minutes but Meico refused to stand down. Finally, he blew out a deep breath of frustration. "Fine, but I'm not leaving!"

"Into the waiting room, please," Meico said. He pulled out a chair and moved it to a spot in the room with more light. "Field kit I have. Not long this will take." The pink-skinned Polaran deftly removed the soiled bandage and clicked his tongue at the wound. "Nasty rip this is. Razor wire, I am guessing?"

"I'm not sure," Sarigar said gruffly. "I wasn't paying attention."

Jugger spoke up from the doorway. "I had a chat with that little bint from Artemis, major. I'd hate to be that desk jockey that got the snakegirl fried. That is one bunch of mean, bloodthirsty women."

"They can get in line behind me," Sarigar said darkly. He winced slightly as Meico sprayed some antibacterial wash on his cut. "Montroc, I want Captain Fremmick found. He was brought in on the same hospital skimmer."

"Understood, major." Torie nodded and then asked, "I assume you want a few words with him?"

"To start with." Sarigar glanced at Jugger from across the room. The Thracian merely nodded and followed Torie out into the corridor.

"Almost finished, major," Meico said quietly as he placed a hypospray to Sarigar's arm. "Prone to infection, razor wire is. Check this again I must." He neatly put his field kit back in order and stood up. "Medical clearance I have not for this area but I will see what I can do. To the staff entrance I must go."

"Very well," Sarigar said, suddenly feeling weary. If it wasn't such a ludicrous notion, he might have suspected Meico of slipping him something. His arm throbbed and he shifted his weight over to lean against the wall for a moment.

"Majorrrr?" a soft voice purred urgently. "Is he all rrright?"

"Resting he is," Meico commented wryly. "Coming around he is."

Sarigar's head felt like it was stuffed with wool. "Meico," he ground out, "what did you do?"

"Merely a reaction to the antibiotic shot it is," the Polaran medic innocently. "Stressful to the mind worrying is. Rest is good." He gestured to the felinoid female next to him. "Medic Zora Ree of Artemis this is. She and Jez Shivblade in the hospital they were." He cast a derisive look towards the hallway. "As well as one other."

"Fremmick?"

"In the keeping of Montroc and Grimrod he is," Meico reported. "Arriving shortly they will be."

Zora sneezed and wrinkled her whiskers in disgust. "That mewling whinerrr! He pulled me away from the captain when we arrrrived. It took me forrreverrr to get back to herrr."

"Jaikira!" Sarigar stood up suddenly. "How is she?"

"She is in the isowarrrd unit," Zora replied. "Her arrrmorrr deflected the worrrst of the damage but she is badly burrrned by plasma rrradiation." She patted Meico's shoulder. "I must go back to the barrrracks to pick up some things and rrreturn herrre. She must be carrrefully monitorrred forrr the next few days. Meico can answerrr any questions you have."

"Thank you." Sarigar shifted his attention from Zora to Meico. "You've seen her?"

"With my own eyes, I did." Meico nodded. "In critical condition she is but stable." He paused and frowned, looking towards the door.

"What is it?"

"I fail to see why I have to come here, sergeant," a too loud voice drawled out. "Surely they can access the accident report that I recorded in the hospital files?" There was a pause. "Stop waggling your fingers at me, Shivblade. You have a perfectly useable synthbox! I signed the repair order myself!"

Torie's voice interjected. "Actually, Captain Fremmick, there are some points in the official incident report that you need to clarify for us, since your version and Captain Jaikira's differ."

"I can well imagine. After word of this fiasco gets around, her field agent stasis will be revoked and her career will be over," Fremmick gloated out in the hall. Sarigar came to the doorway to see Fremmick standing there in a clean crisp uniform and sporting a showy knee brace and a cane. "When General K'thok gets my report, it'll be all over for that prima donna."

The obsequious bureaucrat didn't even have time to blink when Sarigar lashed out, slamming him into the wall with a dull thump. "What," Sarigar ground out, "are you saying?"

Fremmick gurgled with the Jentekian's hand on his throat.

"Don't you know she saved your miserable life?" He tightened his fingers.

"Major?" Torie put his hand on Sarigar's wrist. "Perhaps we should take this out of the Med wing? So the doctors can work on Captain Jaikira?"

Sarigar growled under his breath. "Get him out of my sight." He dropped the luckless D.I. officer and turned away with a flick of his tail spikes.

"C'mon, Jugger," Torie said urgently. "Give me a hand."

Fremmick sagged between the two Legionnaires and groaned. "I'll see you up on charges!"

"We'll see you dead in a ditch first." Jugger tossed his head at Jez pacing nearby like a predatory cat. "C'mon, you can help." She nodded grimly and followed them.

Satisfied that Montroc had matters well in hand, Sarigar turned back to Nomad's medic. "You were telling me about Jaikira's condition?"

"Muscle relaxants and sedatives have been administered," Meico said calmly. "In much pain she was but treatment is now underway."

"Can--" Sarigar hesitated, "can I see her?"

The Polaran medic nodded. "Conscious she is but due to her medications, little sense in speaking she may make. This way, Major."

Meico made Sarigar go through decontam before entering the isoward, leaving his outer garments behind and donning a protective gown over his Legion skinsuit. "New skin growth procedure very delicate is," he explained. "Very sensitive cellular regeneration it is, so great care must be taken." He nodded to Sarigar's gloves. "Please to leave those here. All exposure to outside germs and bacteria must be limited."

All thoughts of his own concerns fled as Sarigar followed Meico through one last sterilizing ion field into the isoward. Covered in tubes and wires, Jaikira was laying on her stomach with her head turned to one side, a sheet shrouding her from shoulders to hips, and with her caudal appendage immersed in a carbonated gel bath. Sarigar winced at the angry black-rimmed expanse of burnt skin visible beneath the cooling emulsion. The worst of the damage had been to her lower body where the plasma blast had hit. Even thought he'd had a chance to calm down from his earlier outburst, he still wanted to make Fremmick pay for this outrage. It was obscene to see her beauty marred in this way.

"Jaikira? Meico this is," the pink-skinned medic said gently as he checked her monitors. "How are you feeling?"

"...mmm..." Her eyelids moved but she didn't seem to have the strength to open them. "Tired. Tail's all numb."

Meico motioned Sarigar to come closer. He tried to move as quietly as possible but he froze when she spoke.

"Meico?"

"Yes?"

"Is he okay?"

Meico exchanged a look with Sarigar who shrugged. "Fremmick? Survived he did."

"No, not him." Jaikira gave a pouty frown. "S'gar. I heard his voice." Before either of them could reply, she whispered, "I miss him." The words came out in a weak, shuddering sigh.

Sarigar dropped into a tight coil besides the medbed. "And I've missed you." He covered her cold fingers with his.

She managed to open her eyes and to stare at him in bleary shock. "Sorry, it's the drugs talking." The corner of her mouth twitched.

"Too bad," he murmured back, "because I can't use that excuse."

Her eyes closed. "How long?"

"I've been out in the waiting room the whole time," he answered. "Zeerod and I saw the incident and we followed you in. Meico just brought me back to see you."

"mmm..." Jaikira studied his hand on top of hers through her eyelashes, clearly puzzling over what was different. She rubbed her thumb against the darker blue of his index finger and broke into a small smile.

"Yes," he answered for her. "I couldn't wear gloves in here. Aren't you pleased?"

Her lips parted in a laugh but she was simply too exhausted to respond. Sarigar reached over with his other hand and brushed some wayward strands of hair from her face. "It's going to be all right," he murmured. "I just wanted to say -- the way I've been acting, Kira, it wasn't you. I'm just very stupid when it comes to love." He looked away and blinked furiously for a few seconds. "It has to be that because today nearly killed me. You have to get well so we can talk about this some more."

Nodding slowly, Jaikira smiled sleepily. Sarigar raised her hand to his lips and kissed her bruised knuckles. He sat there for an indeterminable time, holding her hand and watching for the slightest movement, until Meico put one of his hands on his shoulder.

"Deep in REM sleep she is," Meico said quietly. "Time also it is for you to rest, major. Notified you will be of any changes in the night." He nodded towards Zora Ree who had returned and was taking his place at the monitors.

"Thanks, Meico." Sarigar stood up and winced as he straightened to his full height. "I suppose I should find out whether I'm headed to the stockade for striking an officer."

"Justified, I am thinking. Many reports of the incident I have heard. This Fremmick's orders were unwisely given. Combat proficiency he had not." Meico glanced over Jaikira's sleeping form. "Happen these injuries they should not."

A deep anger tinged with grief swept over Sarigar as he allowed Meico to steer him out of the medical wing and back towards their barracks. He hadn't realized how much he'd been missing her until she had nearly been taken from him. Still, in spite of everything, in spite of her own pain, Jaikira's first coherent thought had been to console him. That thought made him feel almost giddy with hope.

"Major! Meico!"

They had just passed by the group lounge when Torie had called out to them. Meico raised his eyelids questioningly.

Sarigar nodded. "They'll want to know."

Both Artemis and Nomad were crowded into the room and had been there for some time, from the number of empty grogh kegs lying about. Jez Shivblade gave Meico a desperate look, knowing that he could read her thoughts telepathically.

"Yes, update you I will. Most severe Captain Jaikira's injuries were. Plasma burns, trauma to caudal appendage, and radiation poisoning she has. In isolation ward for the time being she must remain." Some members of Artemis became visibly upset, weeping on the shoulders of their comrades. "Fortunately, treatment we do have and responding well to it she is. Deep the damage is, so time cellular regeneration will take."

"Major?" Zeerod handed him a fresh flagon of grogh. "Did you get to see her?"

Sarigar nodded and took a deep drink. "It was such a shock to see her like that." He paused, letting the grogh settle his nerves. "Caudal injuries are always traumatic for us Jentekians but I think she'll pull through." He drained the glass and held it out for more. Jez was looking at him hopefully. "She was awake when I talked to her, but she's under a lot of meds."

The silent Thracian made a series of hand gestures, simple enough for him to understand.

"'Did she say anything?'" Sarigar sipped more grogh. "Not much - she knows what happened and where she is." He smiled sadly. "She said some personal things and then she joked about it, saying that it was the drugs talking."

Zeerod chuckled and continued to top off Sarigar's drink. "That's the spirit," he said lightly. "That's what I like most about your Jaikira, sir, her wonderful sense of humor -- pops out at the most unlikely times."

Sarigar smiled sadly over his glass. "That's true, isn't it? I've always loved that about her." It wasn't until half a glass later, that he realized just what Zeerod had done - he had gotten Sarigar to admit his feelings in front of everyone. He winced before looking around.

The old rogue was grinning at him and the whole room seemed to share his sentiment. "Major," Zeerod said gently and with great dignity, "I think I speak for all of Nomad, and, if the ladies will allow me, Artemis too, when I say that we approve of you and Captain Jaikira. We would like nothing better than for both of you to be happy." He glanced around and held the grogh keg up. "And regulations be damned!"

Jugger uncorked a fresh bottle and flourished it in the air. "I'll drink to that!" A number of people raised their drinks, agreeing with him.

Stunned, Sarigar had to look away for a few seconds to regain his composure. It was a truly magnanimous gesture of respect on the part of both their squads. He only wished that Jaikira was here to share the moment with him. "Thank you," he said with as much quiet dignity as he could muster. "Thank you all."

Torie cleared his throat. "Sir? We do have some bad news for you."

"Yes?" Sarigar raised a brow ridge questioningly. "You killed that little weasel before I could have a piece of him, didn't you?"

"I'm afraid not. We weren't able to keep Captain Fremmick in custody. The MPs took him."

Jugger snorted. "Yeah, and right when ol' Jez over there had him squealin' like a pig, too." He saluted her with his bottle. "Damn fine piece of work with that flayin' knife."

"Military police?" Sarigar asked sharply. "Is he up on charges?"

"Several, in fact." Torie shook his head. "I think he was reported by the tower monitors, other squad leaders, and some of the brass that were there doing observations." He gestured towards an avian female with a tall feathered crest. "Lieutenant F'marrl has been given temporary command of Artemis."

"Lieutenant," Sarigar said gravely. "Will you be continuing in the war games?"

"Yes," F'marrl answered in her high fluting voice. "Captain Jaikira would expect Artemis to go on and to do well. We aren't going to let her down."

* * * * *

"Major?" Zeerod knocked discreetly before entering Sarigar's quarters. He had personally escorted Sarigar to his room last night, if only so Meico could re-check the cut on his arm. The major had consumed more than his usual amount of grogh, thanks to some sneaky refilling on Zeerod's part. He felt it was the least he could do, under the circumstances, so he was fully prepared to take the consequences of dealing with the major's hangover the following morning.

As it turned out, Sarigar simply wasn't there. His bed was rumpled but clearly not slept in. Zeerod took a moment to straighten it. Yesterday's uniform was in the laundry bin and the sanitary unit had been recently used by the still-damp towels on the rack.

"Hmm...," Zeerod chewed his beard for a moment. "Curious."

Torie Montroc came to the door. "Zeerod? Where's Major Sarigar?"

"Ram me if I know, captain," Zeerod replied, "but I think I have an idea where to look."

Zora Ree was on duty when the com unit went off. The felinoid medic had traded her armor for a white-and-blue medical tunic that contrasted nicely with her tan-and-sable fur. She reached over and clicked it on.

"Isowarrrd herrre," Zora purred softly. "May I help you?"

"And a very good morning to you, my dear lady," Zeerod said gallantly, with Torie hovering in the background. "We were wondering if Captain Jaikira has had an early visitor this morning. One of our majors seems to be missing."

Twitching her whiskers, Zora gave a hissing little laugh. "Indeed she has, and he's still herrre. Would you like to see?"

"If it amuses you so much," Zeerod said with a grin, "I certainly must!"

Zora reached over and accessed the isoward's cameras. Sarigar had pulled a chair up to the bedside but his head was cradled on his arms resting on the edge of the bed. A discarded compupad was under his elbow. As they watched, Jaikira reached out and combed her fingers through his hair.

"Oh, look!" Zeerod exclaimed and several other Legionnaires crowded the viewscreen. "She's awake!"

"The captain has had a good night," Zora reported. "The skin rrregenerrration is at fifteen perrrcent and the worrrst of the rrradiation poison has been neutrrralized." She snickered. "Howeverrr, if someone could come and get yourrr majorrr, I'd apprrreciate it. He's been snorrring since oh-fourrr-hundrrred. She may think it's adorrrable but I'd prrreferrr that she get some rrrest."

"I'm on my way to rescue you even now, milady." Zeerod bobbed his head at her. "If you would, please tell the major that he's due at an emergency command meeting and that I'm picking him up."

"With pleasurrre, Zeerrrod."

Whispery touches left electric trails across his skin. Slowly, Sarigar became aware of the sounds of machines around him and the sharp smell of the gel bed bubbling a few feet away. He winced as his neck and shoulders complained loudly about the odd position he fell asleep in. The last thing he remembered was writing on his compupad and watching her sleep.

"Morning."

He opened his eyes only to find Jaikira studying him from only inches away with a small amused smile on her face. Sometime during the night, they had removed the oxygen tubes from her nose so she looked more like herself. Her left hand was tracing his jaw and he reached up to take it.

"Did I wake you?" he asked quietly.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, you do snore."

"Blame Zeerod -- he seemed to think that I needed to get drunk last night."

"Hope you had some for me. My yesterday was rammed all to hell."

"It was no picnic for me either." Sarigar sat up and swiveled his neck around. The popping of his vertebrate was audible.

"Gar?"

"Hmm?" He rotated his shoulders and leaned back down on his elbows.

"Why'd you stay all night?"

Sarigar shook his head. "I did try to go back to the barracks, but once I was there, all I could think of was being here." He took her hand between his. "I guess I didn't realize just what you meant to me."

"Which is?" A familiar light was dancing in her eyes.

He smiled ruefully. "When you went down, it was like my heart was ripped right out of my chest. I made a perfect ass of myself and I slammed that rat-faced bospor right into a wall." He lowered his head down so he was at eye-level with her. "It's entirely possible I may be in love with you."

She merely raised a brow ridge, waiting.

"I just didn't want to admit it."

Jaikira squeezed his hand. "You already have." Her lips parted in a smile that begged to kissed.

"And do you?" he asked breathlessly, edging closer.

"A girl would have to be stupid not to love you." She nuzzled his mouth.

"Lucky me."

They were in mid-kiss when Zora cleared her throat forcefully.

"Parrrdon me, majorrr," she said apologetically, "but yourrr aide called. He's en rrroute to pick you up forrr an emerrrgency staff meeting."

"Damn." He smiled wistfully and stroked her cheek. "Duty calls, Kira. Try to stay out of trouble, hmm?"

"It'll be tough but I'll try."

Zora was standing by the door. "Majorrr?" she said softly as she escorted him from the isoward, "You can visit again laterrr this afterrrnoon. We'rrre doing some prrrocedurrres this morrrning and she'll need to rrrest afterrrwarrrds." She patted his shoulder as if he were a wayward child being sent on his way. "You underrrstand, prrt?"

Sarigar gave her a wry grin and snapped off a Legion salute. "Yes, ma'am."

Jaikira waited until she heard the door cycle open again. "Zora?"

"Yes?"

"Did he really stay all night?"

Zora gave a purring little laugh. "Indeed he did. He may seem like a model soldierrr, but I think yourrr majorrr is a closet rrromantic."

"I think you're right." She smiled to herself and prepared to settle down to sleep.

"What is this?" Zora asked as she stooped by the bed. She came up with a compupad. "I do not rrrecognize this language."

"Let me see," Jaikira said as she tucked her fist under her chin to prop herself up. Her eyes widened. "Sarigar must have left it - this is Jentekian verse; a classical form of poetry on our planet."

"Prrrt?" Zora nodded approvingly. "That was verrry considerrrate of him. Perrrhaps he meant to give it to you so you will have something to rrread laterrr." She gently pried it from Jaikira's hand. "As for now, kitling, you must get some rrrest. I will keep this safe for you."

* * * * *

"--Furthermore," said the rat-faced judicator in the center of the three-way split screen on the monitor in General Gokk's office, "we demand that all of the Legionnaires involved in the attack on Captain Fremmick be severely disciplined."

"That will not be necessary," Sarigar said emotionlessly. "I alone am responsible for the conduct of my men." He'd been standing there in front of Gokk's desk for an indeterminably long time listening to this bureaucrat rant on about his conduct. The fact that the judicator had a strong family resemblance to Captain Fremmick had not been lost on either Sarigar or Gokk; the bear-like general was barely keeping his temper as it was.

"That is not --"

"As it so happens," General Gokk interrupted in a rumbling voice, "a situation has arisen that requires an immediate and lethal response. Casualties will be high. I plan on using Major Sarigar and his squadron to spearhead the attack."

"That is not good enough!"

"Adjunct, I need combat-hardened men on the front lines, not sitting on their arses in a holding cell. You filed your complaint with me and it's up to me to decide what action I wish to take in disciplining the men under my command."

The fish-eyed admiral on the right side of the screen nodded. "I concur with General Gokk. The situation on the frontier is perilous. Sending Major Sarigar into a high risk battle zone is more than adequate compensation for his actions."

"I also agree," said the Defense Intelligence officer on the left. "General K'thok is less than pleased with losing the use of two of his officers at this time, especially one of his best field agents. He himself could not be present for this meeting as his ship was diverted to the frontier. Gentlemen, time is of the essence. We need to move."

General Gokk nodded grimly. "So we shall. My troops will be leaving within the hour. Gokk out." He punched a button on his console and the viewscreen winked out. "Damn infuriating interdepartmental squabbles," he growled. "And you - what are you waiting for? I need you and your bunch of psychopaths on the frontier now. Dismissed."

Sarigar paused in the doorway, took a deep breath, and came back into General Gokk's office. He waited patiently for Gokk to respond.

"Major, I've done all I can for you," Gokk said curtly. "I agree that something has to be done about that incompetent bospor and it will, but you had no business laying a hand on him, much less ordering your men to remove him from the hospital." He huffed, puffing out his muzzle. "Fremmick was insistent on you taking the blame for their actions."

"I'm willing to take full responsibility, I'm not denying that." Sarigar waited until Gokk was looking at him. "Trillian, I need a favor. My transport is leaving within the hour and I'm not going have time -- will you go to the hospital wing and tell Jaikira what's happened?"

"Hospital wing?" Gokk glanced at the disciplinary report and back up at Sarigar. "Surely she's not the other injured officer in the report? The adjunct barely mentioned her."

Sarigar nodded. "Fremmick's actions put her in the isoward. I was there all night and she'll be expecting me back. I'm not even going to be able to say goodbye." He sighed bitterly. "She's going to be vulnerable there -- could you please keep an eye out for her? I don't want Fremmick going anywhere near her."

General Gokk sat slowly back in his chair and nodded. "Now it all makes sense," he murmured. "You showed considerable restraint, old snake -- I would have put him through the wall." He gestured to the door. "You'd better collect your gear and get to your transport. Not to worry, I'll go speak to Captain Jaikira today and afterwards, I'll be having a very serious discussion with General K'thok about members of his staff. I'll sort this out... personally."

"Thank you, General." Sarigar turned to go.

"You really care about her, don't you?"

He turned his head and smiled. "Would I go through all this trouble if I didn't?"

**_To be continued in "Part VI: Away Mission, en route"_**


	6. Away Mission

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts. 

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

**_VI. Away mission, en route:_**

Stars streaked past the bridge viewports as the Legion battlecruiser passed through the warpstream on their way to yet another trouble spot on the frontier bordering the Harkilon Empire. Sarigar was standing his watch on the bridge while the majority of his troops slumbered in the quarters below. They'd been sent out on this insane detail thanks to his momentary lapse of discipline and yet Nomad had made him proud -- not a man in his command had complained or shirked in their duties. It was like they were determined to show the politicians just what the Legion was made of.

The bridge crew was going about their duties efficiently so Sarigar decided to catch up on his correspondence. He had been delighted to receive three letters from Jaikira in the courier pouch that had arrived with General Gokk last week. His old friend had assured him that he had taken Jaikira's commanding officer into his confidence and had arranged Artemis to take over duty stations at Greelbase for the duration of this tour. That alone had relieved Sarigar's mind somewhat but it was Jaikira's letters that reassured him the most.

_"...Yesterday I got the best news - Fremmick was demoted to second lieutenant and assigned to Devil Squad! It cheered me up so much that I didn't mind what horrible things my physical therapist did to me later. Jez is taking bets on how long Fremmick will last on the front lines. The betting is divided on which side will want to kill him first._

_Trillian says he will put this letter into your hands personally. He really is a good friend of yours, isn't he? He told me the most interesting story about you and some cabana girl on Carras IV. Now that couldn't possibly be true, could it, major?"_

Pausing his compupad, Sarigar popped up an auxiliary window and made a note to have a private word with Gokk. He felt the last thing he needed was Jaikira to think he had some kind of playboy reputation to live up to.

_"I've heard so many stories about you since you've been gone. I wish you were here so you could tell me which ones are true and which ones are just barracks talk. Jez says that you jumped down the side of an observation tower and bowled over a squad of rookies when I went down in the minefield. She says that you were even angrier than you were at me when we were at odds in the swamp fort. Funny how that turned out -- opposites do attract, even when they butt heads like we did. Admit it, you liked it when I sat on your lap, didn't you? I certainly enjoyed your reaction to it."_

Sarigar smiled ruefully. He wondered if she was referring to the tail-rattling or to the other physical reaction he'd had, although he suspected she meant the latter. He began to compose a response when his second-in-command, Torie Montroc came on the bridge, stifling a yawn.

"You're not scheduled for duty for another hour, captain," Sarigar commented. "Couldn't sleep?"

The sandy-haired human adjusted the fit of his armor. "The vibrations of the ship change when they adjust the warp drive. For some reason, I just can't sleep through that." He glanced briefly at the compupad in Sarigar's hand. "Putting your downtime to good use, I see."

Unlike some members of his squad, Sarigar was more at ease in confiding in Montroc. "Just writing back to Jaikira," he admitted wryly. "General Gokk has been filling her head with wild stories from our junior officer days."

Chuckling, Torie grinned and asked, "Are they true?"

"Yes and no." Sarigar looked at Jaikira's letter again and frowned. "The problem is that General Gokk tends to embellish his stories so there's no telling what she's heard."

"She works in intelligence, major. Chances are whatever he's told her, she's already double-checked it."

"Unfortunately, you're probably right."

"Major Sarigar, your turn it is." Meico's mild voice over his com-unit interrupted their conversation. "Your physical examination the last it is. To the infirmary please report."

The Jentekian sighed. "Torie, you have the bridge."

"Aye, Major."

Sarigar didn't see the point of having yet another physical when he was in his usual good health, but protocol was protocol. Medical had to clear everyone before they made planetfall. His tail spikes clattered irritably against the metal flooring all the way to Meico's office.

The four-armed medic was examining something under his medi-scanner when Sarigar entered. Meico raised one arm and pointed to the exam bed.

"Major, on the table, please. No excuses today I will be having."

"You sound like my mother."

Meico snorted. "A most reluctant patient you are." He stepped up to the controls and made some modifications. "Now still to be while scanning."

Sarigar willed himself to remain motionless and closed his eyes as the tingling sensation of the scanner swept over him. It was rather like sunning one's self at the neurobaths. He wondered for a moment where that thought had come from - it had been ages since he'd been back to Jentek - but then he recalled that it had been one of things that Jaikira had mentioned in her letters. His expression stayed sober but his mind wandered. He had a lot of leave time built up and it was tempting to think of spending some of it with her.

"Your heart rate increasing it is," Meico commented blandly. "Something on your mind there is?"

Sarigar shook his head. "It's nothing."

Lowering his eyelids in disbelief, the Polaran quietly shut the infirmary door. "Something it is, I am thinking." His didactic voice took on a shrewd tone. "Or someone, hmm?"

"Damn." He turned his head and scowled. "Isn't there anything else to gossip about on this damn tub?"

"My pardons, Major. An important matter between patient and doctor we must discuss." Meico linked his two upper arms behind his back as he regarded his commander. "If serious about Captain Jaikira you are, certain precautions must be observed." He tapped his console and a medical file came up. "Years ago your last contraceptive shots were taken. Wise it would be the shots to resume, I am thinking."

Stunned, Sarigar could only stare dumbly at his medical officer. He found his voice slowly. "I - I hadn't really given it any thought," he admitted. His blood grew hot thinking of it. She had made no secret of her affection for him, and living on the edge as they both did, intimacy probably wasn't too far off. Relationships in the Legion tended to move faster than most civilian romances."You're right, of course." He shook his head and gave an embarrassed laugh. "It's been such a long time since I've had to think about these things, it's almost like the first time again."

"Obvious your feelings to her even to a non-telepath this is," Meico chuckled. "For maximum efficiency of the inoculations, now you should begin. When over the mission it is and to the base we return, safe it will be mating games for you to play."

Sarigar raised a browridge. "Barracks life has been a bad influence on your bedside manner."

"Not at all." Meico dialed up a dose of the male contraceptive shot and loaded his hypospray. "Forget you do once married I was." He wrinkled his eyelids amiably in lieu of a knowing smile. "Forever pleasant some memories are."

**_To be continued in "Part VII: In the Natatorium"_**


	7. In the Natatorium

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts. 

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

**_VII. In the Natatorium:_**

Humming to himself, Zeerod shifted the heavy case of bottles in his arms. There was nothing he liked better than coming back to base after a successful mission, even if he did have to make the grogh run. Major Sarigar was unlikely to notice a party in the barracks at present; Zeerod had left Nomad's commander in his office buried in administrative tasks. A pity, really, the old warrior mused to himself, because everyone knew that Sarigar's heart was somewhere else these days. He smirked knowingly as he approached the barracks for Artemis squad. A door slid open and a slim figure slithered out into the hallway.

"Captain Jaikira!" Zeerod crowed enthusiastically and picked up his pace to catch up to her. "Look at you! Up and about already!"

Clad in a dark red robe edged with gold embroidery, Jaikira managed a full torso rotation to look back at him. When he had last seen her, she had just been badly wounded by a plasma barrage - a mixed blessing because her injuries had been the catalyst that had made Sarigar admit his feelings for her. "Zeerod! Yeah, they kicked me out of the medical wing finally. You caught me on the way to my PT session."

Gallantly, Zeerod offered her his elbow. "Physical therapy, eh? You're headed for the natatorium, no doubt."

She laughed and her robe swished around little to reveal flashes of smooth azure skin as she glided besides him. "No, I always wander the barracks in my bathing suit."

"I dare say the major would be interested in seeing that." He winked at her.

"And how is he?" She turned her head artfully as though playing the coy young maiden but Zeerod could tell her golden eyes were dancing.

"Oh, he caught up on his sleep on the trip out, kicked considerable enemy arse, and then was increasingly anxious to get back to base." Zeerod chuckled. "He's going to be peeved that I saw you before he did."

"Well, I've got to be able to do at least twenty laps in the pool before they'll reinstate my field agent status so I'll be there for the next hour or so." Jaikira grinned impishly. "Just in case someone wants to tell him." She patted his arm affectionately.

"My dear lady," Zeerod said as they approached the juncture where their paths would part, "nothing would give me greater entertainment value."

By the time Zeerod made his way back to the Nomad barracks, he had it all sorted out in his mind just how to broach the subject. All he needed was the right straight man. Luckily he had just the volunteer...

"Zeerod, you old geezer!" Jugger complained loudly. "Did you have to brew that grogh yourself or were you just too feeble to haul it back here on your own?"

The old warrior stuck his snout in the air and sniffed indignantly while he scanned the room for Sarigar. The major's door was partially open and he could just see the viewscreen so he assumed that Sarigar was still catching up on his reports. "If you must know," he said, raising his voice dramatically, "I met a very attractive bathing beauty on the way here and you know - Captain Jaikira looks rather fetching in red." He began counting under his breath. Five seconds later, he was rewarded with the dull thump of a body colliding with a doorway.

"What!?!"

Zeerod turned and regarded his commanding officer mildly. "Oh, there you are, major," he commented. "Did you know that Jaikira's out of the medical wing? I just met her on her way to the natatorium for her physical therapy session. She's working on getting her field agent status back."

Sarigar's eyes looked almost boyish. "Does she look all right? How are her injuries?"

"She has a little bit of a limp, for want of a better word, on her left side and her tail was a bit blotchy." Zeerod set the kegs down and walked over to Sarigar to continue quietly, "I suspect that might be scarring but one doesn't ask a lady about such things."

"I'll try to remember that," Sarigar nodded and started back into his office.

Zeerod followed discreetly and before the major could sit back down at his desk, he spoke up. "Major, I think you've earned a break -- perhaps a nice refreshing swim?"

The tip of Sarigar's tail was quivering - a sure sign that the Jentekian was seriously considering his suggestion.

"Jaikira did make a point of telling me that she would be at the pool for the next hour or so." Zeerod scratched his chin and studied a spot on the wall. "Poor girl - I think she's bored to tears with doing laps all by herself." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sarigar disappear into the closet.

"And you know, not that I noticed, but that particular shade of red really makes her look radiant."

"All right, all right," Sarigar said hastily as he tucked a gym bag under his arm. "You win. I'm officially off duty. Try to keep things from turning into a drunken brawl here." He turned back at the corridor, a smile on his face. "And thanks."

"You're welcome, major." Zeerod smirked and there was a gleeful skip in his cybernetic step as he went to collect a well-deserved bottle of grogh.

* * * * *

Effortlessly, Jaikira glided through the still water with her body elongated in the undulating swimming style of her species. Sarigar paused in the doorway of the changing rooms to watch her. Zeerod had been right about one thing - she did look good in red. He'd corresponded with her while Nomad had been on assignment and knew how much she hated being on medical leave. That was evident in the determined way she was moving through the water. She reached the end of the pool, slapped the lap counter with her tail as she flipped around, and headed back.

As soon as she was a few lengths ahead, Sarigar slipped into her lane behind her. His nostrils closed instinctively as they had for his amphibian ancestors and he skimmed along the bottom of the pool, admiring her. The rippled shadows of the water's surface made it difficult to see any scarring but he decided that if there were any, it was barely worth noticing. Her form was supple and serpentine with each stroke and while the bathing suit was of a conservative, regulation cut -- it inspired him to pass beneath her and beat her to the side.

His head broke the surface just as she shot out her hand to slap the lap counter. Jaikira stared at him a moment, wide-eyed with rivulets of water on her face. She let her hand drop to his shoulder and he could feel it trembling - from excitement or exertion, he couldn't tell.

"I see Zeerod managed to deliver my message," she said breathlessly.

"He's useful for things like that," Sarigar replied. He glanced around. The only others using the pool were at the far end. He decided to risk it and pulled her to him for a kiss. The first was so good that he threaded his fingers into her hair and followed up with a second and a third. Their wet bodies melded together and if it hadn't been for the dim awareness that they weren't alone, there was no telling how far things could have gone.

When they broke apart, Jaikira was smiling. "Somebody missed me."

"You're still trembling," Sarigar murmured as he studied her. "Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine -- a little tired, maybe," she answered as her fingers traveled the length of his shoulders and back. "I managed to do fifteen laps today; that's two better than yesterday." Her eyes lit up. "And those were some very good kisses."

Sarigar looked sheepish. "Well, I owed you a few. I hated leaving like I did."

"I know. General Gokk explained why." She smiled and let her hands rest on his chest. "When duty calls, the Legion is there."

"I'd rather have been here." He sighed as he put his hands over hers and squeezed gently.

Jaikira rolled her eyes. "Trust me, watching me sitting around in a gel bath is boring. You had the better end of the deal -- at least you had something to shoot at. Zora took away all my weapons after I threatened the physical therapist."

"Is that why they let you out without a keeper?"

Gar!" She grinned at him. "That was almost a joke!"

He merely shrugged. "Zeerod suggested I go for a swim. Do you want to join me or are you too tired?"

"Well..." Jaikira looked speculatively at the far side of the pool. "If I can manage five more laps, I'll meet my fitness requirement. I'd love to get out of office duty and back into the field."

"Then let's race," Sarigar suggested. "If you finish your laps, I'll take you to dinner."

She pushed off and floated into the center of the lane. "And if I don't?"

"I'll still take you to dinner." He slipped into the next lane and coiled his tail against the wall. "But I get to pick where."

"You're on!" Jaikira ducked under the water and splashed him with her tail before Sarigar had a chance to say another word. He allowed her a bit of a headstart before going after her. She was a good two lengths ahead when she made her turn, but he caught up before she had made it through the second lap. He slowed down a bit in his turns but otherwise she kept up to his pace with a ferociously determined look on her face. It was both comical and alluring at the same time.

In the end, he let her edge an arm length ahead of him in the last few meters. The triumphant look that she gave him as she slapped the lap counter was well worth it.

"Ha!" Jaikira crowed. "So there!"

Sarigar swam over into her lane. "I knew you could do it." He slipped his arms around her waist under the water.

"Right." She kissed him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "You have a bad habit of letting me win."

He shrugged. "I consider it a win-win situation."

"Funny how it always seems to work that way." Her tail gave a twitch and Jaikira winced.

"Are you all right?"

She didn't say anything but put her head down on his shoulder for a few minutes. He could feel her body tense up in his arms as a muscle spasm made her tail twitch and jerk on the surface of the water. Finally she let out a deep breath and lifted her head.

"I think it's time for me to get out now."

Gently, Sarigar lifted her up to sit on the edge of the pool. Before he could get out to join her, Jaikira managed to heave herself up and only looped her tail twice before falling. She looked up sheepishly from the floor. "I overdid it, huh?"

"I guess so," he replied as he dropped down next to her. His fingers ran quickly down her flank, checking the muscle groups along her caudal vertebrates. He located the muscle cluster that was knotted and began to massage it loose. A small gasp from her made him look up. "I'm sorry -- am I hurting you?"

"No." She closed her eyes for a moment. "Feels nice -- you have good hands."

Sarigar tried to continue on as if his face wasn't on fire. He'd had weeks to think about her and her skin was softer than he'd ever imagined it. Irrationally, he wondered what it would be like to run his hands all over her. "Any better?" he managed to ask.

"Mmm-hmm." Jaikira had her lips pressed together. She straightened the skirt of her bathing suit and attempted to stand but after moving a few feet, she wavered and fell into his arms.

"Here," he said gruffly and carried her to a lounge chair. "Where are your things?"

"Just there." She pointed to a neighboring chair.

Bringing them over for her, Sarigar said, "You wait here while I change and I'll take you back to your barracks."

"How?"

"I'll worry about that."

By the time Sarigar got back, Jaikira had dried off, put on her embroidered robe and was attempting futilely to re-braid her hair. Unruly wisps were escaping and springing into errant curls around her face and down the side of her neck. Her eyes lit up as he approached.

"The muscle spasms have passed," she said brightly. "I think perhaps I could move around now."

Sarigar slung his gym bag over his shoulder and held out his hands. "Let's try then."

Jaikira managed to get halfway back to the barracks before her hand on his arm began to tremble. Sarigar didn't let her risk another fall; he swept her up into his arms with her tail looped over his shoulders.

"Gar!" she protested. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Don't struggle," he advised her. "Just let me do this."

She opened her mouth, shut it, and then finally shook her head. "That's it. You've gone space happy."

"Nonsense, you enjoy being the center of attention." Sarigar glanced at her and saw her smiling at him. "What?"

Blushing, she hid her face behind her hand. "It's nothing."

He carried her into a lift and, as they were alone, took the opportunity to kiss her. Her body relaxed and she curved her hands around his face and into his hair. The tip of her tongue traced his lips; it startled him for a second but he soon returned it in kind, tasting her kisses on his tongue and growing hungrier for more. They broke apart breathlessly.

"I think you enjoy having me at your mercy like this," she whispered.

"Yes," he breathed back, "I do." His arms tightened around her.

"I think you can put me down now."

"No." He shook his head. "Not a chance."

"Why?"

"Because holding you is all I've wanted for the last six weeks."

Jaikira cocked her head and raised one brow ridge, holding back a smile.

"All right," Sarigar admitted, "it's just one of the things I've wanted. Happy?"

She cuddled up to him. "We'll see."

Unfortunately, the lift doors opened and they found themselves face-to-face with Zora Ree, the medic for Artemis squad. She immediately assumed the worst.

"Captain! What has happened?"

"It's nothing, Zora," Jaikira said soothingly. "It's just a muscle cramp." She patted Sarigar's shoulder. "Luckily, my own knight in Legion armor decided to show up."

Zora gave him a searching look but said nothing as she pulled a pocket scanner out for a quick check. "Hmm," the older female said finally, "nothing too serrrious, just a build up of lactic acid in the muscles. All rrright, majorrr, why don't you brrring herrr to our barrrracks and I'll take it frrrom herrre?"

Sarigar could have very cheerfully strangled Zora. He hadn't been this anxious to be with a female since his dating days at the University. Unfortunately, the felenoid was acting just like a old auntie, hovering about like a chaperone at a school dance. He said nothing however and followed her down the corridor into Jaikira's quarters. They were the standard officer's billet; like his rooms, they adjoined the squadron's office and from there, the barracks. There were a few feminine touches like the pile of colorful pillows on the bed as he set her down on it. He was pleased to see that it was just as wide as his and when Jaikira caught him looking it over, neither of them looked away.

Unfortunately, Zora came back into the room before either one of them could be tempted. "Thank you, majorrr," she said politely enough, "that will be all." Her manner was clearly one of dismissal.

Jaikira bit back a smile. "Call me later and we'll set up dinner sometime this week, all right?"

He scowled at the back of Zora's head. "All right."

"And Gar?" She gave him a gamine smile. "I'm glad you're back."

The unspoken promise of that look made it a little easier to go back to the Nomad barracks.

**_To be continued in "Part VIII: Poet/Soldier"_**


	8. PoetSoldier

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts. 

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

**_VIII. Poet/Soldier_**

"You're taking her to the civilian zone for dinner?" Torie asked as he sat in the office working on a project of his own. "Where to?"

"The Blue Star," came Sarigar's muffled reply from inside his room. "Kira picked it. I've never been there."

"I think you'll like it," Torie commented. "They serve cuisine from your home system of Belgar II. Some of us decided to go on a pub crawl and that was one of the stops."

"Pub crawl?"

"Yeah, The Blue Star also is a music club." He laughed and looked back. "But then Jaikira and music naturally go together, don't they?"

"Tell me about it," Sarigar muttered as he came out, adjusting his green officer's jacket over black shirt and pants. "Still, I'm looking forward to getting her away from Artemis for the evening. Between Zora and Jez, we're never alone."

Torie shook his head. "You could always pull rank on them, I suppose, but I imagine that would only get you in trouble."

"Unfortunately, you're probably right." Sarigar came over and changed his duty status on the computer. "All right, I'm logged off. You have the con, Torie."

"Thanks, major. Have a good evening."

All the way down the corridor to Artemis' barracks, Sarigar was anticipating their evening as he had been most of the week. He'd been able to make time to see Jaikira almost every day but what he hadn't told Torie was how just when things between them would begin to get more intimate, one of Jaikira's teammates would appear to ruin things. He was beginning to think that he was going to have to pull a hel-gun on the next one just to get a little privacy.

Jaikira was just slipping from her room as he turned in that direction. He stopped and waited for her, enjoying the view. She had opted for a civilian dress in dark blue, topped with a short jacket that had lacy see-through sleeves.

"Escaping from your jailers?" Sarigar quipped.

She snatched up his hand and tugged him in the direction of the lift. "Yes!" she said with some exasperation. The minute the doors shut, Jaikira rose on her tail and kissed him hard with her hand behind his neck.

"Not that I'm objecting," Sarigar said when she let go of him, "but what was that for?"

"It's been one of those afternoons," Jaikira groaned. She sighed and leaned back against the wall. "If I have to sit in on another Harkilon interrogation listening for nuances and inflections, I'm going to scream."

"After tomorrow, you probably won't have to," Sarigar said reassuringly. "I know you'll pass your physical tests easily and then you'll be back on active status again."

"Gods, I hope so." She looked him over and smiled. "Still, being grounded hasn't been all that bad. I'm getting to spend time with you."

"There is that." He slid his arm around her waist as the lift doors opened and kept it there while they found transportation to the civilian zone. It was something Sarigar didn't do when he was in uniform, and while Jaikira didn't directly comment on it, she took full advantage of it by snuggling up to him whenever possible.

The Blue Star was everything Torie said it was - a pleasant establishment serving food from their home system of Belgar II that doubled as a music venue in the after hours. They had an enjoyable time sampling a variety of Jentekian wines and trying each other's favorite foods. When the emcee announced the arrival of the band, Sarigar assumed that Jaikira would want to move closer to the stage and started to stand.

Jaikira reached over and put her hand on his sleeve. "Not tonight, Gar. Let's stay here where it's quieter."

"You?" he mused. "Turning down music?"

She shrugged. "I know the guy that heads up this band. If he saw me anywhere near the stage, he'd pester me to sing and I don't want to do that." Her smile was slow and sultry. "You're the one I'm with tonight."

He had to swallow hard. There was something about that knowing yet innocent look of hers that stirred desires that he'd forgotten he had. The server saved him by coming to the table and refilling their glasses with a sparkling white wine. He saluted her with his glass and asked, "What would you like to talk about now?"

She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "So, tell me -- how long have you been writing poetry?"

Sarigar was startled -- he was fairly sure that he hadn't ever mentioned that he wrote Jentekian verse in his free time. It was hardly the thing a battle-hardened Legion veteran wanted to be known for. "Excuse me?"

Jaikira smiled sweetly and took a familiar-looking compupad out of her jacket pocket. "You left this in the isoward that day, remember? Right after you admitted that you were in love with me. Zora showed it to me and I recognized the language and composition form as Jentekian verse so she said that perhaps you'd meant to leave it for me to read." She pretended not to notice the pained expression on his face. "So I started at the beginning, and you know, they're really quite good."

He blinked. "Really?"

"Oh, yes -- there's quite a few poems in here that would make excellent song lyrics. I'd be reading some of the more military ones and I could just hear stirring anthems in my head." She grinned. "You have a rare talent for this, Gar, I mean it."

"I don't know what to say," he replied self-consciously. "I've never actually let anyone read them. I've always wrote them for myself, just to unwind."

Jaikira smiled and ran her fingers along the edge of the compupad. "For a while, I didn't know you were the one writing them but then I got up the ones that started to mention me." She started to laugh. "I would have never regarded the bit where I was swimming in the sewers as poem material but what you did with it was just so hysterically funny! Zora thought I was having a strange reaction to my pain meds."

Chuckling along with her, he agreed. "That whole incident on Orestra VII was surreal."

"Now I found the encrypted poems particularly interesting."

Sarigar stopped laughing and swallowed hard. There was a very personal reason why those particular poems were hidden away. "You got into my, ah, private files?"

"Well, it was a little tricky," she admitted, "but then, there I was, confined in the isoward with time on my hands." She sat there and gazed at him in barely concealed glee at his discomfort. "You know, I had no idea there were so many ways to describe my, ah," she looked down at herself, "attributes. You have a rather extensive vocabulary."

"Oh, Ayal...."

She tilted her head coyly, looking at him from under her lashes. "You write erotica rather well, you know. I was flattered, and frankly," her breath hissed in through her teeth, "aroused by those secret poems."

"You were never meant to--" He sighed and tried again. "I just wrote them because -" He ran both hands through his hair and stared at the table uncomfortably. "I am so rammed."

"Oh, I'd certainly like to..."

"Kira!" Sarigar stared at her, outraged at her boldness.

"Well, isn't that what you want?" she asked simply. "You can learn a lot about a person by reading what they put down when they think no one else is looking. It's a type of free association, letting your subconscious say all those things that you're afraid to say."

Sarigar gave a rueful glance at his compupad. "And what do my poems say about me?"

"I think that you're conflicted -- you're both a soldier and a poet," Jaikira said as she swirled the wine in her glass. "You've let the soldier take over to survive in the Legion; you can't allow your discipline to lax or you'll be overwhelmed with sentimentality. But deep inside, there's that poet who remembers that life is more than just surviving -- it's about risking everything to be loved."

Sarigar didn't say anything. She was hitting a little too close to the truth and he felt uneasy.

"That doesn't mean the poet is weak," she continued. "It's actually stronger than the soldier because it was just biding its time, waiting for some outside spark to make it bloom again." She reached out and turned his face towards her. "Well? How close did I guess?"

He took a few moments to compose his thoughts. "You were right about the gloves too."

"Gloves?"

"The night of the ambassador's reception -- you said that wearing my gloves all the time was my way of putting a barrier between me and the rest of the world. I hadn't really thought of it that way but I started doing that after the disaster on Hellscape. Only five of the original Nomad squad survived and I never really got over it. There were too many things that needed to be done and I had to keep my distance."

"But now you feel that's changed?"

"You know that it has." There was a tight pain in his chest.

She came in closer and rested her forehead against his. "I know the soldier doesn't want to get personal but what does the poet think?"

Sarigar swallowed hard. "The poet isn't happy unless I'm thinking of you or watching you or being with you." He closed his eyes. "Sometimes my blood burns with wanting you."

"Are you afraid of that?"

"Sometimes." He turned his head away. "I'm afraid of losing control. My whole career is based on discipline, and you, well, you make me think dangerous thoughts."

Jaikira deftly turned his face back to hers. "Like what?"

For once, Sarigar found himself at a loss for words. Their faces were so close that he could see the gold-within-gold pupils of her eyes and he couldn't help closing the distance between them. Oblivious to the crowd around them, he began to kiss her as if they were the only two people in the world. Their tails coiled together under the table long before their arms slipped around each other. Jaikira pulled away first, pressing a hand to her cheek and looking startled. Sarigar sighed and sank back against the seat.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I never do things like that."

"Maybe you should." There was a certain predatory look in her eyes. "Sometimes you need to act on your dangerous thoughts." She reached over and deliberately removed his insignia from his jacket, tucking it away in his inside pocket. "I say that for the remainder of the evening, we get rid of our ranks and all that's left is Gar and Kira out on a date."

There was a certain appeal to her suggestion; he so seldom ventured into the civilian zone that no one would know him if he behaved with less than military decorum. Kissing her like he just did made him realize how highly wound he had become and he felt like he was going to fly apart if he didn't do something about it soon. His eyes passed over her and he noted her captain's bars.

"Well, that's got to go then," he said and carefully plucked her insignia from her lapel. She blushed and leaned forward so he could put it in her pocket as she had done. There was a little keyhole opening on the bodice of her dress, however, that had such an interesting view that he chose to drop it in there instead.

Jaikira yelped and put a hand to her chest where the captain's bars had lodged between her breasts. "Uh oh --- now I'm in for it."

He smiled over his wine glass. "You most certainly are."

**_To be continued in "Part IX: Night Maneuvers"_**  
**_For Mature Readers Only!_**


	9. Night Maneuvers

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts.

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

**_This chapter is rated for _****_Mature Readers Only_****_ -- if you are easily offended by adult content, please skip ahead to "Part X: Barracks Life" -- thanks!_**

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

**_IX. Night Maneuvers:_**

Lingering in the civilian zone, they arrived back in the barracks long after lights out. The wine had made them as giddy as teenagers and they took turns pulling each other into the shadows for long heated kisses. Sarigar finally sobered up by the time they reached the corridor to Jaikira's quarters but couldn't seem to get enough of her.

"Gar!" She squealed as he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her ear. "Stop that! I can't think to punch in my number."

"I'll do it." He reached under her arm and punched it in.

She craned over her shoulder and made a face at him. "You memorized it?"

"I looked it up."

"Then you might as well come in," she said and tugged at his hand.

He looked around warily. "I don't know, Kira. We might wake somebody up."

"Impossible," Jaikira said as she looked back at him invitingly, "F'marrl took Artemis out to do night maneuvers."

"Then we're alone?" Sarigar let her lead him into her quarters.

"Completely."

Sarigar smiled slowly to himself and set the privacy lock on the door. When he turned around, he got to see Jaikira slipping her jacket off a pair of bare shoulders. She had been wearing a backless gown beneath it and her blue skin had a neon glow against the dark fabric. His mouth went dry.

"Well?" She struck a glamorous pose, throwing her hips forward provocatively and tossing her hair back.

"That outfit will get you a uniform violation, captain."

"You're one to talk." She sauntered into his arms and ran her hands down his chest. "This is certainly not a regulation skinsuit, major. No armor underneath, just you." She deliberately traced the outline of his pectorals under the fabric. Her fingers left goosebumps on his skin.

"I'm off duty tonight," he murmured as he kissed her. "It's allowed."

"Lucky me." Pulling his jacket from his shoulders, Jaikira tossed it across the room. She sighed as he continued his kisses and craned her neck invitingly.

He moaned and ran his mouth along the swanlike arch of her throat. She turned in his arms and pulled her hair away to bare the delicate markings on the back of her neck. Sarigar caught his breath - it was the most intimate thing a Jentekian woman could do. Baring the neck was often a precursor to a formal mating because it was the most easily aroused area on a female's body. Touching her there stimulated the pheromone glands that not only made a female sexually receptive but also brought a male to peak arousal.

"A-are you sure?" he managed to rasp out. "I'm due to ship out at any moment."

"I know -- chances are as soon as I'm back on the active list, they'll have a new field assignment for me." She pulled his arms around her and nestled back against him. "I don't know about you, but I don't want any regrets. I don't want to wonder what it would have felt like to make love with you."

"I won't deny that I've thought about it too." Sarigar fought back the urge to lower his lips to her skin. "I don't want to rush it -- a formal mating is something that has to be built up to." His tail caressed hers, winding around the hem of her dress. "It can take hours if you do it right." He kissed her bare shoulder. "And I'd want to do it properly for you."

"We have the time," Jaikira said as she slowly let her hands run along his arms. "We have the opportunity." She flexed her hips back to slowly rock against him, fully aware of the effect she was having. "And, from what I can tell, we certainly have the motive." She took his hands and guided them along her curves. He needed very little encouragement to continue.

"Criminal minds think alike," he said as he caressed her body in ways he'd only imagined during the long nights spent alone in his bunk on the Piecemaker. "Kira, this is a big regs violation."

"Frankly, Gar, I don't give a damn." She gasped as he slipped his hands inside the deep cut sides of her top. Her voice rose up in tonal increments, sending an erotic thrill along his neutral synapses.

His teeth chattered. "Kira-- "

She let the croon drop into a low purr that sent him rocking back on his coils. Instinctively, he kissed the nape of her neck and was lost in myriad sensations. Jaikira tasted the way she smelled - an intoxicating mix of sweet tartness that rivaled the rarest spirits that Sarigar had ever imbibed. He ran his tongue along the scarlet chevrons trailing up the back of her neck to disappear in her hair. Hissing through her teeth, she writhed in his arms, a sensual shudder rippling all the way down her body to her tailtip. He let his hands glide along the tops of her shoulders as he continued to slowly nuzzle her neck.

"G-gar?" Jaikira's voice trembled, clearly shaken by her physical response to him.

"Ssssh," he whispered. "Patience." Lightly, he nipped her earlobe. "I want to do this right for you."

"No." She turned in his arms and looked directly into his eyes. "We do this right for both of us - or what's the point?"

Her boldness went in the face of Jentekian propriety, but then, that was what had first attracted him. Sarigar merely leaned forward to kiss her and was thrilled to feel her hands exploring his body - it had been years since anyone had done so. She pulled his shirt free and slid her hands underneath the material to ghost around on his bare skin. Impatiently, he pulled it over his head and was captured with a kiss while his arms were still pinned inside his shirt. Jaikira took full advantage of the situation and promptly toppled him over onto her bed, her hair falling all around them as they kissed with greater abandon.

Her hand unbuckled his uniform belt and opened his trousers. Sarigar nearly came undone when her fingers glided over the thin skin of his belly and skirted dangerously low towards his erogenous zone.

"Don't tease," he admonished breathlessly.

"Who's teasing?" she whispered back and raked him lightly with her fingernails. If you don't like it, then make me do something else."

"Take off the dress then," he ordered, pushing her up off him. "I can't guarantee it'll stay in one piece if I do it."

Jaikira raised her brow ridges with a sultry look and eyed his pants. "Those have got to go then."

Sarigar returned her smile and tugged off his trousers as he sat on the edge of the bed, unwinding several feet of tail as he kept his eyes on her. Slowly reaching behind her to unfasten it, she let her dress drop, revealing firm, athletic breasts as the material rippling around her slim waist. He reached out for her and pushed it down her sleekly muscled body, curving his fingers around her waist and cupping them around her buttocks as he pulled her to him. His mouth was at just the right angle to swirl his tongue around her nipples. She shuddered and arched her head back, leading them both into a long spiraling twist as he pulled her down onto the bed.

The silken caress of their skin rasping softly was a seductive serenade as they satisfied their need for tactile sensation; skin-to-skin contact was an integral part of Jenekian intimacy. Confined as they normally were in full body skinsuits, Sarigar and Jaikira both reveled in coiling and uncoiling their snake-like bodies around each other, each twist and turn intensifying the sensation. It was better than Sarigar had ever imagined as he ran his tongue back along her neck, becoming drunk on her pheromones.

Jaikira loosened her coils and for an irrational moment, he'd thought he'd done something wrong. She laughed at him gently. "It's okay," she whispered as they slowly unwound. "I want to see what I'm touching, don't you?"

"Yes," he answered hoarsely. They sat up for moment, just drinking each other in as their hands traced erotic patterns on their skin. He paused in his explorations of her body as his hand lightly caressed her intimately, glancing at her to see her reaction.

"Yes, touch me there." she breathed with the ghost of a smile. "And I'll touch you... here."

Sarigar's eyes widened as her deft hands encircled him and squeezed gently. He stroked the back of her neck as he watched Jaikira lean over him and groaned as she manipulated him orally. Her eyes glittered mischievously as she looked up at him. She mouthed him and pitched her voice in a low vibrato.

"Eye of Ayal!!"

The sensation rippled right up his spine and fired directly into the pleasure centers of his brain, making his senses reel. He resolved not to let her take complete command of their night maneuvers and glided his hands firmly down her lithe body. He dipped down to the triangular cleft where their humanoid torsos joined their saurian lower bodies and returned her teasing in kind. Her flavor was even more concentrated here and her reactions were both delicious and direct as her tail flicked whip-like across his shoulders before curling lovingly around his neck. He dove in like a starving man at a banquet, reveling in their passion.

Gradually, her scent changed - a slow, sweet spiciness that sizzled on Sarigar's tongue. His body responded to her surge of pheromones and he forced her warm mouth away. Jaikira looked up in a daze of lust and hurt confusion that he immediately began to kiss away as he gathered her to him.

"Kira," he rasped, "mate with me." He slid smoothly into her warm depths and the wave of euphoria that swept over him nearly made him pass out with its intensity.

Jaikira answered with a desperate whimper as they began to twine their bodies around each other. Each twist of their tails forced him deeper inside her warmth and built an incessant pressure. He felt punch drunk and dizzy from the oxygen being deprived from his brain and he could see by the glazed look in her eyes that she was feeling it too.

"Kira," he whispered. "Breathe with me, come on."

Her eyelashes fluttered. "It's never felt like this," she murmured back. "Never."

"Told you," he answered as he rocked over her on his forearms. "We lose ourselves in mating." His mouth roughly covered hers. "It's more than the joining of our bodies. More than just passion." A powerful spasm jerked his tail spikes out, ripping the sheets. "Eye of Ayal!!"

Her fingers dug deeply into his back as Jaikira clung to him, weeping. Sarigar lapped up her tears, worried that he might have inadvertently hurt her but he underestimated her. Jaikira turned them over with a twist of her tail and took the top position, pushing up from his chest into a high curving arch. The pressure made his frenulum flare its barbed edges and implant itself inside her. The adrenaline rush blasted through him like a hel-bomb and he gave up all pretensions of military decorum as he let his baser nature take over.

Jaikira gave a guttural cry and fell across his chest, sobbing. Startled, Sarigar pushed her masses of hair away from her face. "What's wrong?" he asked anxiously. "Did I hurt you?"

"I don't know," she whimpered. "I never -- I never--" Taking deep breath to settle herself, she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I didn't know it would feel like this. I've had other lovers but never --"

As distracted as Sarigar's mind was, he suddenly realized what was upsetting her. "You've never had a Jentekian lover, have you?" He began to smile. "This is your first formal mating?"

"Yes." She bit her lip and hissed breath in through her teeth as he continued to pulse within her. "This is so intense--"

Her voice had a strange vulnerability that he found appealing. "That's what happens when your pheromones change scent - it heightens the sensation for both of us," he said softly. "We have a reputation for being cold-blooded snakes because we're a pragmatic race but the truth is that when we make love, we do it so deeply and so thoroughly, it feels like we might die from sheer bliss."

"It feels like I'm floating," she sighed. "I'm tingling all over."

"Me too." He lifted his head up and began kissing her until they both fell over on their sides. "It gets better." His tail rattled, sending a shudder through both of them. "The reptile side of our nature makes mating a little peculiar in more than the pheromones. Sex is linked to our autonomic nerve systems; now that I'm implanted in you, we could even drift off to sleep and we'd still be doing it on auto-pilot."

Jaikira made a face. "I'd hate to think I was that boring."

"No, you'd be surprised," Sarigar told her as he cupped her hip and pulled her more snugly to him. "I've always had the most vivid dreams while mating. I almost never dream when I sleep."

Another wave of pleasure crested over them and they both cried out at the same time, twisting and tumbling over the bed and onto the floor. Sarigar backed his shoulders onto the edge of the bed and pulled her on top of him to continue thrusting upwards, his tail winding under him like a spring.

Jaikira tossed her hair back in a glorious dark cascade. "Did you write any more of those erotic poems?" she asked as she planted her hands on his shoulders.

"I had to do something with my nights," Sarigar admitted as he reached up to nuzzle her breasts.

"Tell them to me."

"Too late." He kissed his way up to her mouth and devoured it. "I'm already showing you."

"Mmmm."

It was early in the morning when an unfamiliar noise shook Sarigar out of a dead sleep. He needed a few seconds to register where he was and he smiled drowsily as he remembered how he had got there. They had both collapsed in each other arms, too tired to do anything else but drift off to sleep. It had felt good to let go of his self-imposed discipline and to just make love to her. Voices rose from the barracks as the members of Artemis staggered in after a night on the training grounds. Jaikira's hair was spread across his chest like a blanket and he combed his fingers through it idly, reluctant to let the night end.

"Kira?" He winced -- his voice sounded almost too loud in the quiet of the room. "Sweetheart, you need to get up. Your squad's back."

"Who are you to order me around, major?" Jaikira teased as she propped her chin up on his chest. "You're out of uniform." She grinned. "You don't even have your dogtags on."

"And whose fault is that, captain?" He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of running his hands along her bare back. "You're guilty of assaulting an officer."

"I think that it was mutual assault." The tip of her tail rose lazily in the air. "I'd put you on report if it meant we could be put under house arrest together."

"Unfortunately, I've got to get back." Sarigar smiled ruefully and rolled them over on their sides. "I only meant to be gone a few hours, not all night."

"You were busy." Jaikira tightened her coils around him and hissed. "Mmm."

Sarigar groaned as pleasure rippled up his spine. "Don't do that, Kira, please..."

She laughed. "Spoilsport."

"Later," he murmured into her mouth. "Do that to me later in my bed."

"Mmm... whatever will the guys say?"

"They'll mind their own business."

**_To be continued in "Part X: Barracks Life"_**


	10. Barracks Life

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts. 

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

****

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

**_X. Barracks Life_**

Zora went over to Meico's bunk and rudely shook him awake. "Please tell me that he's been taking the shots!" she hissed agitatedly.

"What?" Meico blinked a few times before sensing the source of her distress. "Oh. Oh!" His pink complexion deepened. "Not to worry, Zora Ree. Sarigar's contraception shots up-to-date they are."

"Thrrrice-blesséd Bast!" Zora sat down on Zeerod's neighboring bunk. "We just got in frrrom night maneuverrrs and you could cut the pherrromones in our barrrracks with a knife."

"What's this?" Zeerod raised himself up on one elbow, not entirely displeased to find her on his bed. "You mean he slept over?" He began to grin lasciviously as he sat up besides her.

"I serrriously doubt sleeping was involved," Zora commented wryly. "The prrrivacy seal was on but I have medical access. I went in to check on herrr and therrre they werrre." She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "Tangled up in one big twitching blue love knot."

Zeerod patted her shoulder awkwardly. "Well, they are both adults, dear. Personally, I'm rather pleased. It's about damned time Sarigar made time for something other than duty."

"If it werrre underrr any otherrr cirrrcumstances, so would I." She looked between Zeerod and Meico. "Jaikirrra's field agent status is tenuous. Frrremmick had many high family ties and even demoted, he still has influence. I had to take Jaikirrra off herrr shots while she was rrrecoverrring. She's only been back on them forrr a couple of weeks."

Meico nodded. "Worrisome that is, I agree, but minimal the risk is. Once the decision was made, dedicated Sarigar was."

"That's very true," Zeerod said consolingly. "I should know -- I've seen where he's got it marked on his schedule. Regular like clockwork, our major. You've just had a bit of a shock this morning, dear heart, that's all."

"Perrrhaps." Zora sighed and slumped against Zeerod's shoulder, much to his delight. "I'm getting too old forrr all this."

"There, there." With surprising agility for a being with two bulky cybernetic legs, Zeerod slipped out of his bunk and pulled on a regulation jacket. "What you need is a cup of herbal tea and a good long rest today. That'll put everything right."

"You'rrre trrrying to take carrre of me again," Zora said, twitching her whiskers reproachfully. "I thought we discussed this."

"You woke me up in my bed, dear, not the other way around."

Zora started to respond but Meico reached over and touched her arm, shaking his head at the futility of it all. She reconsidered. "Very well," she sighed. "I accept the offerrr of yourrr company forrr the tea but I'm verrry much afrrraid you would not be verrry rrrestful for the second."

"I should bloody well think not," Zeerod said as he held out his hand to help her up. "I'm old, my dear, not dead."

* * * * *

Despite her initial protests, Zora Ree seemed genuinely pleased to have his company over breakfast and Zeerod couldn't be more delighted. The felenoid medic's reserved nature was something she had carefully cultivated as a professional courtesy to her patients and it had taken weeks of subtle coaxing to get her to drop her guard around him. As much as he respected his teammates, there was nothing quite like having someone closer to his own age to be with.

"My dear," he said gently as Zora hid another yawn behind her hand, "I think I should see you on your way now. I hear your bunk calling your name."

"So it is," she agreed. "It's telling me that I'm too old to be out all night."

"That would depend on how one spends one's night." He laughed and carried their trays from the table. "We all can't be as lucky as our commanders."

Zora snorted through her whiskers but he could tell she was amused. It was evident by the gracious way she took his arm without having to be persuaded. They walked without speaking for a time before she broke the silence. "This has been verrry pleasant, Zeerrrod" she commented. "I thank you forrr suggesting it."

"Think nothing of it, dear lady. A moment spent with you is time to be treasured."

"My late husband often said much the same thing, but he did not have yourrr gift with worrrds." She sighed, but with a smile. "Sometimes you make me want to purrrr like a kitling again, with the things that you say."

Her words appeared to embarrass her as she cast her eyes away from him but Zeerod felt like dancing a jig. He started to reply but a motion down the hall caught his attention and his mouth dropped open. Sarigar was drifting along the corridor, slowly undulating back to the barracks in what appeared to be a somnolent trance. He'd showered and dressed, but lacking his usual attention to detail. An errant lock of hair fell across his forehead and his jacket hung open, half off one shoulder.

"Oh, my," Zora murmured. "You'd betterrr tend to him, Zee. Therrre's no telling what shape I'll find the otherrr one in."

"Will do, milady," Zeerod answered back. He winked at her. "You and I will have to compare notes later, eh?"

She rolled her china blue eyes and tsked at him through her whiskers.

Quickly the old warrior made his way to Sarigar's side. "Good morning, major," Zeerod said brightly. "I was just seeing Medic Ree back to her quarters. Perhaps you'd like to join me in an early breakfast?"

It took a few seconds for Sarigar to realize that he was being spoken to. "Hmmm?" He swayed as he stared down at his aide. "Oh, Zeerod. Yes, coffee would be good."

"Really strong coffee, I'd say," Zeerod commented as he gently took Sarigar's elbow. "I'll have it brought directly to your office." He kept a pleasant smile on his face but all the while, he was dying of curiosity. In all the years that he had served with Major Sarigar, Zeerod had never seen him like this.

Meico was up and dressed by the time Zeerod had managed to steer Sarigar into his office. The Jentekian collapsed bonelessly into his chair for a few nervous minutes, but the smell of fresh brewed coffee brought him around.

"What's wrong with him?" Zeerod murmured as Meico ran a brief scan.

"Post-coital languor this is," Meico said simply. "Common among Jentekians it is."

"You've got to be kidding. What on earth could Jaikira have possibly done to him to turn him into a vegetable like this?"

Sarigar began to laugh in mid-sip and choked on his coffee.

"Not that it's any of my business, major," Zeerod said contritely, "just curious."

"Very little information in the medical database there is," Meico said as he consulted his compupad, "but high doses of stimulants like caffeine are prescribed for this condition."

"Just keep the coffee coming, Zeerod," Sarigar managed to get out. "This isn't life-threatening and I'll shake off the worst of it in an hour or two."

"Most curious your symptoms are," Meico commented. He prepared a hypospray and injected Sarigar in the neck. "Not typical of most post-coital side effects they are."

Zeerod couldn't have put it better himself. His fur was a-bristle with anticipation.

"Not you too, Meico?" Shaking his head, Sarigar merely glanced at them. "There's a betting pool riding on this, isn't there?"

"Well, perhaps... Zeerod admitted, scratching his chin. "The usual variables -- date, elapsed time, number of positions -- you know." Meico had the grace to look embarrassed.

"This had better be the ONLY time I hear about people betting on my sex life." Sarigar narrowed his eyes balefully and sipped his coffee. "Last night, six and half hours, and I lost track."

Zeerod blinked and exchanged a startled look with Meico. "You're kidding. Over six HOURS?"

Sarigar yawned. "More or less. I wasn't wearing my wristo." He blinked. "What? That's all we had time for."

Gaping, Zeerod could only stare at his commanding officer.

Meico feigned clinical interest. "Really?" He tapped a query on his medical datapad and his eyes widened. "Perhaps a vitamin supplement you should be taking. Lucky for you not yet fully healed Captain Jaikira is." He handed the pad to Zeerod.

He glanced at the text, blinked, and scrolled down with a horrified look of fascination. "Four weeks?" Zeerod exclaimed. "Do you mean to tell me you people can ram away at each other for four WEEKS?" Meico closed his eyes and shook his head at Zeerod's tactlessness.

"Hmm?" Sarigar scowled as he tried to figure out what Zeerod was on about. "Oh, that. That's the traditional amount of time that Jentekians were allowed for mating privileges, back when we were a slave race. We were designed to subsist on little sleep, little food and constant work in a heavy gravity environment so when they were allowed to mate, early Jenteks went at it non-stop when they were allowed to." He held out his cup for more coffee which Meico promptly filled. "No one mates that long these days. It would put me into a coma."

"But what a way to go, eh?" Zeerod murmured.

Sarigar merely raised his brow ridges and smiled.

* * * * *

Zora fully expected to find Jaikira in a similar state, but much to her surprise, her commander was up, showered, and fully dressed. She was sitting in the office with F'marrl discussing the night's exercises while she combed out her wet hair. Jez Shivblade was crashed on a nearby sofa in her off-duty sweats, snoring softly with one leg hung over the arm.

"--that's good, F'marrl," Jaikira was saying. "K'thok was asking when medical could clear me so I can go back on active field status. That always means he's got a job for us."

"Captain?" Zora purred. "Arrre you feeling quite well?"

"Very well, thank you." There was a vivacious sparkle in her eyes. "Did you go to the mess hall with the others?"

"No, actually I was therrre having tea with Zeerrrod."

"Ooooo!" Jaikira and F'marrl tittered like schoolgirls while Zora waited patiently for their childish mood to pass.

"He was walking me back when we came acrrross Majorrr Sarrrigarrr," she said wryly. "Whateverrr did you do to that poorrr man? He looked like the living dead."

Jez came awake with a snort. _"What?"_ she signed. _"What'd I miss?"_

"Nothing, Jez, go back to sleep." Jaikira combed her hair vigorously for a few seconds and parted it for braiding. She looked up only to find all three females looking at her with varying degrees of curiosity, even F'marrl who only had scientific interest in the subject.

"Kitling," Zora said as she walked around and began to neatly braid up Jaikira's hair. "You know very well that I can still smell him in herrre, in spite of the arrroma of cleaning prrroducts coverrring it up."

_"Come on!"_ Jez signed. She grinned as she perched on the sofa arm. _"How was it? Bets have been placed!"_

Jaikira narrowed her eyes. "Which squad?"

_"Both!"_

"Oh, gods."

Zora twitched her whiskers impatiently at Jez. "Never mind herrr," she said as gently as she would have to one of her own daughters, "you do not have to tell us a thing. As long as you two enjoyed each otherrr, that is all that matterrrs." She reached a hand over Jaikira's shoulder for the elastic to tie off her hair. "Of courrrse, given the sad state of yourrr suitorrr, I must ask as yourrr physician if you rrrequirrre any medical attention."

"Oh, I'm fine - I haven't felt this good in ages." Jaikira smiled sheepishly. "As for Gar, he's just sleepy."

"Sleepy? The man almost walked into a wall!"

"He had a busy night!"

Jez whistled lewdly and clapped her hands with an expression of malicious glee. _"So? How was major hardass?"_ She waggled her dark eyebrows suggestively. _"Was he?"_

Patting Jaikira on the shoulder, Zora commented, "That's a perrrsonal question, Jez, don't you think?"

"He was-" Jaikira smiled dreamily, "-very, very major." The end of her tail transcribed curly figures in the air. "First time I've ever had a formal mating."

F'marrl cocked her head. "Formal?"

"I'm not sure it's called in the database," Jaikira said, knowing her second-in-command's love of research, "but we refer to mating as either formal or casual."

_"Weird."_ Jez made a face.

"I know -- Jentekian etiquette is very complicated. Casual mating is just like humanoid-style sex, short and sweet. Formal mating involves," her eyes became distant, "a lot of foreplay to change my scent followed by several hours of pure bliss."

"Odd." F'marrl seemed unimpressed. "What do you mean, 'change your scent?'"

Zora sniffed delicately. "So it has," she commented. "Yourrr pherrromones change scent with stimulation? To what effect?"

_"I can NOT believe you people are analyzing this,"_ Jez signed disgustedly and flopped back onto the couch with a pillow over her head.

Jaikira shook her head. "It enhances the experience - it makes the females more receptive and gives the males better endurance." She blushed. "Not that Gar needed it."

Jez popped back up. _"Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!"_ She pumped the air with her fist.

"Rrreally, Jez!" Zora sniffed. "How vulgarrr!"

F'marrl merely rolled her round eyes. "Interesting," she said mildly. "I may have to look into this pheromones business later. Meanwhile, captain, let me remind you that you're scheduled for your physical assessment at oh-nine hundred, and a meeting with General K'thok at oh-eleven hundred. I'll meet you at his office." The avian alien rose gracefully. "With your permission, I believe I'll get a few hours sleep until then."

"Thanks, F'marrl," Jaikira replied. "That goes for you too, Zora. Get some rest." She checked her wristo and snatched up her gym bag. "I've just enough time to warm up. Later, ladies!" She and F'marrl went out the door together, with Jez not far behind.

Pausing for a moment to straighten the few things that were out of place, Zora sampled the scents in the air and frowned. Her feline senses were sharper than most humanoids and the aromas wafting through the air were making her fur crawl. "Prrrobably nothing morrre than hot flashes," she muttered to herself. "I need a good bath and bed, that's all." She smoothed down her fur and went in to the barracks.

* * * * *

An ungodly caterwauling rose from the barracks, and Sarigar looked up from his files to peer around the door. Torie Montroc was coming in, shaking his head. He grinned at Sarigar.

"You have no idea how much your night out has cost Jugger," he commented. "None of his wagers were even close."

"Hmmph." Sarigar resumed his scanning. "Serves him right -- gambling is prohibited in the barracks." He scowled at the figures on the screen. "They'd better find something else to bet on -- I've already read the riot act to Zeerod."

"I thought that's how you'd react," Torie agreed amiably, "which is why I didn't join in. I understand the bets in the Artemis barracks were even more interesting." He managed to keep a straight face when Sarigar looked up with a pained expression. "Something to do with volume and size, I believe."

Sarigar merely winced. A second wave of raucous noise rose up in the outer room, this time accompanied by hoots and appreciative whistles. "What is going on out there?" he demanded.

Sliding through the barracks with a face like a stormcloud, Jaikira tossed down her gym bag in the middle of the floor, went over to Sarigar sitting at the desk, and promptly put her hand down his shirt. Startled, he began to protest until she pulled out a set of dog tags.

"Oh, good grief!" she exclaimed. "No wonder none of my access codes would work today! You've got my tags!" She smirked at the human standing nearby. "Torie, you've outranked him all morning and never knew it!!" The crowd of curious onlookers at the door broke out into a fresh roar of laughter.

Stoically, Sarigar endured the resultant teasing and merely sat in his chair with his arms crossed. When the noise died down, he raised a brow ridge and asked mildly, "So, where do you suppose MY dogtags are?" He looked pointedly at her chest.

Jaikira's eyes went wide. "You wouldn't--?

She leaped back just as he lunged out of his chair. There was a fast and furious chase around the room that knocked over a chair, went under a table and ended up tipping the couch over, concealing them from view. The legionnaires crowding the doorway watched in amusement as Sarigar's tail twined around Jaikira's as they wrestled for the dogtags. Bets were exchanged amidst colorful commentary.

Finally, Sarigar came up with the chain dangling from his teeth and his hair in disarray. He gave a hard stare at their audience even as he went into his room and retrieved a shirt to hand Jaikira who was still hiding behind the couch. It was clear that her own shirt hadn't survived.

"My word," Zeerod murmured and turned around to glare at the rest of the squad. "What's the matter with you?"

"Just enjoying the free show," Jugger leered. "Woo hoo!"

"You wish!" Jaikira retorted as she dressed behind Sarigar's back. He was glancing back at her with a smug grin on his face. She thumped him on the arm as she came around him, knotting a grey fatigue shirt around her waist. "I can NOT believe you did that!"

"You started it," Sarigar replied mildly. He checked his tags before putting them on and tucking them back in his shirt. "I just finished it."

Jaikira scowled at him and snapped off a rapid phrase in vulgar Jentekian. She started to head out through the corridor door when Sarigar whistled and dangled her dogtags from his hand. Her eyes flashed as she snatched them away.

"See you later?" he asked pleasantly.

She made an inarticulate noise in the back of her throat and bared her teeth, but her eyes were dancing as she left the room.

Sarigar sat back down at his desk and resumed filing reports. "Okay, show's over. If I look up and there's anyone there, you're getting recruited to help me sort through this mess." He glanced up to see Zeerod frowning at him. "What is it?"

"Well...," the old warrior glanced at the door, "shouldn't you go after her? She's mad at you!"

"No, she's not." Sarigar typed in a few more lines.

"But she sounded angry."

Sarigar laughed without looking up from his work. "What she said in Jentekian doesn't translate well, but basically means 'that was fun, let's do it again.'" He glanced up. "It's okay, Zeerod, really."

"You realize that you'll never get that shirt back now, don't you?"

He shrugged but a smug smile tugged at his lips. "I don't mind -- she can wear anything of mine she wants."

"Well, well," Zeerod muttered as he turned away. "Can china patterns and his-and-her armaments be far behind? I must tell Zora..." He chuckled and instinctively dodged the datapad that was hurled his way.

* * * * *

Sliding in next to Zora with his meal, Zeerod glanced around at his tablemates and said lightly, "Well, some interesting morning this has turned out to be, eh?"

Jez snorted and shoved her utensil in her mouth while she began to sign a comment. Zeerod's eyebrows rose at some of the more expressive gestures. "Zora, be a dear and paraphrase that," he asked politely. "I'm sure I know the more colorful adjectives."

Dabbing her chin with a napkin, Zora nodded. "Basically, she said that last night's activities did Jaikirrra a worrrld of good."

Grimrod laughed with a bite of sandwich in his mouth. "I'll just bet! From the looks of him, the major gave her the ramming of her life." Jez elbowed him hard in the side but she had a knowing smirk on her face too.

Zeerod glared at him. "Jugger, please!"

"Crrrude obserrrvations aside, I must agree that therrre werrre benefits -- Jaikirrra has been a bundle of enerrrgy all day. She took herrr physical assessment and passed it with no difficulties."

"They'll be reinstating her field agent status then?" Zeerod asked, neatly cutting his food.

"Yes - they've prrrobably alrrready done so." Zora lifted her tea cup to her mouth and sipped delicately, grimacing to keep her whiskers out of the way. "Has the majorrr rrrecoverrred?"

Zeerod chuckled. "Meico shot him full of vitamins and after first gallon of coffee, he stopped dozing off. Otherwise, he's been sticking to the office and resting while he finishes up all those administrative tasks that had piled up while we were on assignment."

F'marrl came up and sat down on the other side of Zora. "Captain Jaikira and I just came from meeting with General K'thok. They've got a posting for us. Artemis leaves in a week."

"Well, well," Zeerod said thoughtfully, pausing to chew a mouthful of food. "This will be interesting set of rotations then, won't it?"

Zora sighed. "At the verrry least, it will be a good test how well soundprrroofed the rrrooms are," she commented. "Meico and I shall have to put ourrr heads togetherrr on how to combat the pherrromones. They have a strrrange effect on otherrr species."

"Perhaps an air scrubber?" Zeerod suggested. "We have compact ones for taking on away missions."

"Wait a minute," Jugger interrupted. "What strange effects?"

F'marrl raised and lowered her crest. "Jentekian females have glands in their neck that emit pheromones. Normally, these glands are dormant but when they're attracted to a particular male," she tilted her head away to avoid looking at Jugger and Zeerod, "they give off an alluring scent."

"Huh." Jugger thought about it. "I never noticed anything like that."

"It affects other species differently," F'marrl said with a discreet cough. "Humanoids seldom notice but other types have interesting reactions to pheromones. It can be a little embarrassing."

Zeerod caught Jez grinning at Zora from across the table and cocked his head. "What?" All three members of Artemis became deliberately silent, although F'marrl and Jez seemed to be sharing a private joke as they left the table. Zora became very interested in her tea.

"Well, I've got to be on duty," Jugger announced with unexpected enthusiasm as he swung his leg over the benches. As he carried his tray past Zora, he winked at Zeerod and tapped his nose.

Thracians were known for their keen sense of smell, Zeerod reasoned, so what was Jugger trying to tell him? He mulled it over for a few minutes as he finished his meal. Dimly, he became aware of something lightly stroking his tail. That area had become a bit desensitized due to the new biomechanical links to his cybernetic legs but his tail was still capable of some sensation. He could just see Zora out of the corner of his eye, staring into her tea cup with a dreamy expression.

A quick discreet glance behind him confirmed his suspicions. Her tail was brushing his as it proscribed lazy curves in the air.

He waited until F'marrl and Jez had left the room to ask quietly," Zora? You're the one reacting to the pheromones, aren't you?" When she didn't say anything, he continued. "It's just that you're the one that's brought it up twice now."

Zora wouldn't look at him. "It's annoying. I thought because I can no longerrr have childrrren, I would not be affected." She shrugged. "I shall endurrre."

"Ah." Zeerod sighed deeply. "I'd give anything to be able to share your problem, dear heart."

"What do you mean?"

"When I was in hospital being fitted with my new legs, the doctors informed me that the odds of my having intimate relations ever again would be rather limited. Nerve damage, I believe, but let's face it - what female in her right mind would want me? I'm half grizzled old soldier and half left over shuttle parts."

"What werrre the odds?"

"I'm afraid I was too in shock to remember clearly. I suppose you could always look up my medical records, if you're curious." Zeerod put on a cheerful face and patted her arm. "Anyway, if you'd like to get away from the young lovers, I would be a safe enough companion. There's no reason why you have to stick around the barracks, now is there?"

"I suppose not." She pursed her lips, splaying out her whiskers in an interesting pattern. "I'll be doing research in the medlabs this afternoon. Perhaps you could drop by later? I wouldn't mind some company for dinner."

"My dear, I should be delighted."

**_To be continued in "Part XI: Jentunku"_**


	11. Jentunku

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts. 

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

****

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

**_XI. Jentunku_**

He remembered vaguely when Jaikira had come into his room late in the evening long after he'd called it a night. The sound of her voice had been soothing as she brushed her fingers over his forehead and took pity on him in his exhausted state. She had slipped into bed with him without demanding anything more than to nestle back into his arms and strangely enough, that had been fine with him.

Music woke Sarigar long before his chronounit was set to go off. For a few minutes, he thought perhaps that he'd dreamed it but then he picked up her scent on the neighboring pillow. He sat up on one elbow and surveyed the room. The grey fatigue shirt Jaikira had borrowed the day before was draped over the arm of his reading chair. Light rimmed the edges of the door to the sanitation unit and he could hear the shower running.

Silently, Sarigar slithered to the door and opened it. As he leaned into the doorway, a slow smile began to creep over his face. Jaikira was in the shower with her head tilted back; rinsing her hair and making it shimmer like a length of wet black satin against her azure skin. She smiled without opening her eyes and asked, "Well? Are you just going to watch or are you going to come in?"

His pants were around his hips before she finished speaking. It was a snug fit with two Jentekians in the stall but somehow they managed. Sarigar didn't even mind the fact that the water was several degrees colder than he preferred it. Jaikira was more than warm enough in his arms.

Her eyes were laughing at him. "Hope you don't mind," she said, "but I thought I'd bring a change of clothes and shower here. I've got an early morning meeting to debrief a major on an upcoming mission." She kissed the cleft in his chin.

"Really?" His hands sluiced sheets of water from her body as they glided down to her hips. "The debriefing has been successful. What does the mission entail?"

"Oh, deep penetration into a critical hot spot," she commented as he lifted her up and pressed her shoulders into the tiles. "Hit it hard and fast."

Sarigar merely smiled and obliged her, enjoying the way his actions were reflected by the expressions on her face. "Lock and load," he murmured and met her mouth with his. Unlike their earlier encounter, this time there was less emotional tension and they eased into each other in deep flowing movements, rocking on their intertwined tails and enjoying the sensation of their wet bodies sliding together. Her breathing quickened and she stifled her moans in his shoulder. Sarigar couldn't hold back and clenched his teeth to muffle his own guttural cries, uncertain as to how the acoustics of the tiled walls would carry to the rest of the barracks.

When the aftershocks had died down, Jaikira slumped in his arms as he slowly released her. "Well done, soldier -- mission accomplished," she said as she rested her cheek against his chest. "Gotta say it -- there's something to be said for a nice casual ramming."

"I agree," he answered back, nuzzling the top of her head. "There's not always time for a formal mating but this," he tilted her head up and kissed her soundly, "this will take the edge off nicely."

She laughed. "And you don't seem to be as sleepy."

"And a good thing too," Sarigar commented, "as I have a meeting with General Gokk in a couple of hours."

"Yeah, I've got to sit in on a meeting with K'thok later." She stripped the water out of her hair and extricated herself from his coils as she got out of the shower. "Do you have time for breakfast?"

"For you, darling, I'll make time."

* * * * *

"You seem in good spirits," General Gokk commented as Sarigar took his seat in the conference room.

"My day began extremely well," Sarigar admitted. He sorted through his collection of notes on his compupad but couldn't help smiling at certain memories. Breakfast in the officers' mess had been pleasant as well, simply enjoying Jaikira's company and making plans to meet later.

"There! What's that smile for?" Gokk pointed a thick finger at him and grinned. "Rumor has it that you've been seen with a certain shapely captain." When Sarigar cocked a browridge at him, Gokk continued, "I'm merely asking as a friend but if you prefer, I could always look into it as your commanding officer. Breach in security and that sort of thing."

Sarigar was saved from answering by the arrival of General K'thok of Defense Intelligence. He was a tall spindly creature, vaguely humanoid in form with a shock of bristling hair-like quills that cascaded down his back like a war bonnet. His coffee-colored face was dominated by hairy eyebrows over vivid blue eyes. Gokk and Sarigar had risen at his arrival but before they could sit down, General K'thok gestured to the door.

"I hope you don't mind, gentlemen," he said in a deep, mournful voice, "but I've taken the liberty of bringing one of my top field agents along. Our discussions will have bearing on her next assignment." He looked back and nodded. "Come in, Captain Jaikira. This is General Gokk and I believe you've met Major Sarigar."

"Yes, we have," Jaikira nodded her head graciously as she entered the room. "General Gokk -- so good to see you again, sir." She took her seat to the right of General K'thok, according to protocol. When Sarigar raised a questioning brow ridge, she gave a minute shrug and a baffled wide-eyed look. Apparently, she had not expected this situation either. Sarigar nodded succinctly and turned his attention to the meeting but a few minutes later, he felt her tailtip lightly twine itself around his. It was a touch as innocent as holding hands but he had to draw on all his self-control to steady himself.

The generals, of course, knew nothing of this and began the meeting as planned. It was the first time that Sarigar had a clear glimpse into exactly what Jaikira did for Defense Intelligence. He knew that she frequently was called in as a linguist to assist with interrogations and that she had spent part of her medical leave as an analyst sorting through information. The operation that General K'thok was outlining was a risky undercover assignment on a rough outpost near the frontier. Nomad had just been through that region of space and the more he thought of Jaikira being there, the more it worried him.

"Major?" General K'thok inquired. "By the way you keep scowling, I assume you have an opinion?"

Sarigar glanced at Jaikira who mouthed 'you're brooding' at him from behind her hand. "I'm concerned about the safety of Captain Jaikira and her squad in that area. I've seen Artemis in action and I know that they're more than capable of handling themselves but that region is constantly changing hands. It can be Harkilon territory one moment, and a half cycle later, it can belong to some xenon consortium we've never heard of."

"He has a legitimate point, K'thok," General Gokk commented. "I'll be taking the Piecemaker on a tour of the quadrant with the major and his squad on board. Perhaps an active Legion presence in the area would help stabilize it."

"If you'll forgive me for saying so, General Gokk," Jaikira interjected smoothly, "that might be counterproductive. The reason for sending a covert squad to this outpost is gain information that we can't get through pro-Legion channels." She regarded Sarigar across the table thoughtfully. "However, I think it might be possible to keep the lines of communication open when the Piecemaker is nearby if a few officers in civvies decided to drop by to check on our progress."

"I could see how that might work," Gokk replied as if considering it. "We could stow a small civilian shuttle on board and let a select group fly in from the cover of the asteroid field." He glanced at Sarigar with a roguish gleam in his eye. "Why the major here could easily pose as one of the captain's admirers. It would be very believable cover story." He grinned at the hard look Sarigar was giving him.

"I don't know," General K'thok said slowly. "Major Sarigar has been decidedly hostile towards Captain Jaikira in the past. His report of the Orestra VII affair was especially harsh in its assessment of her command abilities."

General Gokk had been carefully watching the subtle behavior between the two Jentekians in question. "Actually, K'thok," he said pleasantly, "you seem to be a bit behind in current events. I think you'll find that our two officers have reconciled their differences since then."

"That is very true," Sarigar continued. "I have only the deepest admiration and respect for Captain Jaikira. She is a highly talented and dynamic officer." He smiled at her amiably while his tail stroked hers underneath the conference table.

"There's no need to worry, General," Jaikira spoke up earnestly. "It would be a pleasure to serve under Major Sarigar." Gokk gave a snort that sounded remarkably like a snigger and Sarigar was forced to study his notes on the datapad before him.

General K'thok shook his shaggy head slowly. "Really, Jaikira," he said sternly. "That's one of your worst habits, this habitual tendency towards inappropriate humor. You must try to choose your words more carefully."

Sarigar glanced over at Gokk and knew by the smug look on his old friend's face that Gokk had already figured it out. "Permission to speak off the record, General K'thok?"

"Permission granted, major."

"Jaikira and I are guilty of violating regulation 238," Sarigar said mildly, "and any number of the sub-clauses." He shrugged apologetically at Jaikira across the table. "I hope you don't mind, darling. It's better they hear it from us than whatever gossip that's making the rounds in our barracks." She merely smiled back at him, eyes dancing.

"The non-fraternization between officers clause?" K'thok lifted first one hairy eyebrow and then the other. "But you put her on report!"

"That was months ago, general. We kissed and made up." Jaikira smiled. "If Gar puts me on report again, I'll make him sleep on the couch." She was totally unabashed as Sarigar glared at her mildly from across the table.

"Hur-hur-hur!" Gokk chuckled. "I had wondered about you two. You were off base at the time and missed it, K'thok, but they made quite a charming couple at the ambassador's reception."

"Fine intelligence officer I am!" K'thok snorted. "And you, you furry lout, not keeping me up on all the gossip!" He sighed. "This will be a bit of a bother, however."

"Why?"

"Because, and I really hate to break the news to you, Jaikira, but Defense Intelligence is moving its mobile command off of Greelbase and onto Starbase Fourteen." K'thok regarded Jaikira sadly. "When you get back from your mission, Artemis will not be returning here."

"I... see." Jaikira stared at the tabletop. Beneath it, she retracted her tail and wound it tightly around her chair. She seemed to shrink in upon herself, becoming smaller than normal.

The three males stared uncomfortably at each other. Finally General Gokk cleared his throat. "I think that's quite enough for today," he said awkwardly. "General K'thok and I will iron out the details and we will reconvene tomorrow."

Without saying a word to any of them, Jaikira left the room and General K'thok followed a few seconds afterwards. Sarigar started to go after her but Gokk put a hand on his shoulder. "Give her some time to herself," the ursine general advised. "I've seen that look on my wives before."

"What do you recommend?"

"Well, a keg of grogh comes to mind..."

* * * * *

Zeerod was staring at the office door with a worried look when Zora and F'marrl came in to the Nomad barracks. He winced as another sharp crash hit the wall.

"Zee?" Zora said urgently. "Is Sarrrigarrr available?"

"That's a matter of opinion," Zeerod said slowly. "The major went in there about an hour ago with a keg under his arm and he's been throwing the empties across the room ever since. I'd need combat pay to go in there." He caught the concerned look that passed between the two Artemis officers. "Why? What's happened?"

"We're not sure," F'marrl answered. "Jaikira came back from the meeting with K'thok and came out of her quarters in her workout clothes. She's been in the gym doing jentunku shadowboxing ever since." She flinched as something hit the door. "We're worried that she might hurt someone."

"Jentunku?"

"A form of Jentekian martial arts," F'marrl said, "derived from the days when they used to fight in the slave pits. I've tried to learn some of it, but one really must have a tail and the reflexes to go with it."

"What the devil is going on that could have both of them so riled up?" Zeerod wondered. "Captain Montroc took most of the squad out for a zero gravity drill or I'd have him open up the office. I don't have the authorization to break the privacy seal."

Zora twitched her whiskers. "Well, I have medical override prrrivileges," she said fiercely and strode over to the keypad. A few clicks and the door opened.

Sarigar was slumped on the wide couch in his shirt sleeves, studying the last unopened grogh. The empties were scattered all over the room, evidence that all was not well. Zora pulled out her medkit and prepped a hypospray before approaching on silent feet.

Zeerod motioned F'marrl to stay back and deliberately stepped into Sarigar's range of vision. "Major?" he said cautiously. "Are you all right, sir? You've been in here a long time."

Sarigar didn't answer. He continued to stare at the grogh can but Zeerod had the feeling the major wasn't really seeing anything that was in the room.

"We're a little worried, sir," Zeerod continued. "It seems that Captain Jaikira is upset too and we were just won-"

Fast as a striking snake, Sarigar had Zora's wrist in a tight grip just she was about to touch the hypospray to his skin. "No," he told her savagely, "I don't want to sober up."

"You have to," Zora told him. "She's going to hurrrt herrrself if you don't stop herrr."

"What are you talking about?" Sarigar asked wearily.

"Jaikirrra. She's shadowboxing and no one can get nearrr herrr."

"Please, sir," F'marrl asked, giving a small bow as she came closer. "Jez tried to stop her but she got knocked out for her trouble. We've never seen Jaikira like this."

"Shadowboxing?" Sarigar's eyes flicked from F'marrl to Zora. "Jentunku?"

"Yes...," Zora answered carefully. "Majorrr, may I please have my arrrm back?"

In one smooth movement, Sarigar released Zora and started slithering towards the door. He tossed the unopened can to Zeerod. "Put that somewhere," he ordered. "I'm going to want it later."

"Major?" Zeerod put it down on the desk and hurried after Sarigar's rapidly moving form. The Jentekian wasn't showing any signs of being inebriated; if anything, it was the sort of brooding intensity that Sarigar brought to most combat situations. Zeerod, Zora and F'marrl had to run to keep up with him.

Most of Artemis squad and several assorted onlookers were ringing the perimeter of the gymnasium. They'd given up on their own workouts to watch Jaikira turning and twisting in a lethal dance all by herself. She had two wooden battle staves that she was twirling in both hands as she whipped through a series of fighting patterns. There was a high-pitched whistle as her tail zinged through the air like a deadly whip and slashed through a heavy punching bag to seep sand on the floor.

"That's the third one," Yosh murmured as F'marrl and Zora came up to her. "What the hell's going on?"

Sarigar watched Jaikira intently for a moment and then disappeared into the locker room. Zeerod started to follow but before he could get in the doorway, Sarigar pushed past, stripped down to uniform pants and undershirt and carrying a steel-tipped quarterstaff. "Major!" Zeerod called out but realized belatedly that Sarigar had removed his comunit so anything said to him wouldn't be translated.

Roaring a challenge, Sarigar sailed into the ring and slashed his staff down at her. Jaikira turned and deflected his blow with crossed battle staves, following it up by whirling past him nimbly on her tail. Using her momentum, she cartwheeled around him, striking him across the shoulders with her tail and raising a thin red ribbon on his skin.

"First blood to Jaikira," F'marrl murmured in awe, her crest fully extended.

"With what?" Zeerod asked. "Those aren't edged weapons!"

"She's always got one," Zora answered as she clutched his left arm nervously. "Male Jenteks have those rrretractable caudal spines but the females have a blade-thin bony rrridge along the same arrrea of theirrr tail."

"Well, ram me! She'll slice him to ribbons!" Zeerod shook his head and tapped his comunit. "Zeerod to Montroc, urgent! Come in, Torie!!"

"Zeerod?" The signal was faint. "We're just finishing up our drill here in the simulator and waiting for the room to decompress. What's up?"

"I've got a problem," Zeerod said, wincing as Sarigar sent one of Jaikira's battle staves spinning over the crowd. "The major and his lady are trying to kill each other in the gym."

"What? Are you sure?"

"I'm watching it now! All we know is that they both came back from their morning meetings in foul moods."

"Contact General Gokk," Torie ordered. "That's who Major Sarigar was meeting with. Tell him what's going on. I'll be there as soon as this airlock cycles."

"That's a good suggestion," Zeerod said to F'marrl. "You should contact whoever Jaikira was meeting with and ask them the same." He turned back to Zora and gently pried his arm away from her. "I've got to find a quieter spot to call from, Zora. You hold the fort here, all right?"

Zora nodded numbly, her eyes riveted on the spectacle unfolding before them. The back of Sarigar's shirt was becoming a pattern of bloody lines where Jaikira had scored him with her tail slashes. Spinning in, Jaikira rapped Sarigar's knuckles on his staff in an attempt to wrest the weapon from his grip. It didn't work but she did manage to jerk him forward to deliver a slam to his midsection with her tail. Sarigar grimaced in pain as he used his body weight to throw them both to the floor. He slammed her hand holding the remaining battle stave to the ground repeatedly until she let go of it. Jaikira twisted her other arm free and broke his hold with a right cross. She rolled away from him and popped up into a fighting stance before Sarigar could get upright.

Zeerod returned breathlessly. "Got it," he panted. "General Gokk says Artemis is being transferred to another starbase. That's what they're both upset about, I'd wager."

"No!" Startled, Zora gave him a strickened glance.

He set his jaw grimly. "I can't say I'm thrilled either, dear, but it's not like we have a choice about it. Orders are orders."

Torie Montroc and the rest of Nomad came into the gym at a dead run, still clad in their zero gravity gear. He gaped at the sight of Sarigar and Jaikira duking it out, and while he was staring, Zeerod fought his way through the crowd and filled him in, just as F'marrl was doing with the members of Artemis.

"Right," Torie said firmly. "Nomad, I want this room cleared and I want it cleared NOW. This is personal."

"I agree," F'marrl spoke up. "Artemis, clear the far side of the room and secure the doors."

"Damn," Jugger commented as he watched the fight. "I've never seen the old snake drag out a fight like this." He frowned. "And against her too - something just ain't right."

"He's got one can short of a keg in him," Zeerod commented as he shoved a spectator towards the door. "I doubt either one of them is in their right mind at the moment."

Breathing heavily, Sarigar stood there, weaving as Jaikira stared back at him with her fists up in the air. He called out to her in Jentekian, a strange inflected language that rose and fell in sibilant tones. Jaikira hesitated and her hands lowered a fraction as she answered back. He tossed the metal staff aside and it rang harshly as it rolled across the floor. Her hands fell slowly to her sides as her form relaxed.

Torie nodded. "Meico?"

The pink-skinned Polaran had his eyes closed. "Calming they are. Crisis is passing."

"Good." Torie tapped his comunit and said quietly, "All right, Nomad and Artemis, everyone out of the room and hold your positions at the doors. Let's give them some privacy."

"But," Zora protested, "they'rrre badly injurrred!"

Zeerod gently steered her to the doors. "Give them a moment, dear heart. This won't take long."

* * * * *

Holding out his hand, Sarigar slid towards her. "Please, Kira, that's enough."

"But it hurts so much." Jaikira looped her tail forward, cradling her left hand. "I was just so angry and I had to do something-"

"I know."

"I just --" Before she could say anything else, they closed the gap between them and she collapsed against his chest, weeping. Sinking to the floor, they clung to each other and swayed like trees in the wind. "I hate this," she said finally. "Everything was going so well and I was hoping-"

"Me too," Sarigar said quietly. "I downed the best part of a keg this afternoon and it didn't help."

Jaikira lifted her head and wrinkled her nose at him. "I know. I can smell you."

"It's just as well that I did," he said ruefully, "if I wasn't pre-numbed, my back would really hurt now."

Rising up on her tail to peer over his shoulder, she hissed through her teeth as she looked at his back. "Oh, Gar... I'm SO sorry." Her fingers combed through his sweaty hair nervously. "I was totally into the moves, I didn't think-"

"It's all right," he sighed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his cheek into her chest. "Jentuku is not a kind sport. Neither of us was thinking of the consequences." He noted the way she was favoring her left wrist. "You'd better have Zora look at that. I may have broken it."

"I don't care." She tilted his head up and kissed him. "What are we going to do, Gar?"

"The best we can." Sarigar returned his head to its former position on her chest. "Just no sudden movements, sweetheart," he said softly. "The room is spinning enough as it is." His hands slid from her waist and down her backside.

Jaikira rolled her eyes. "I know you love my ass, Gar, but really!" He mumbled something before becoming a dead weight in her arms. She shifted him to her good right arm and lowered them both to the floor. "Meico!!" she shouted in Battle Galingua. "Zora!! Man down! Medic!"

"Major?" Meico's voice was faint, but insistent. "Major?"

"He just folded up in my arms," Jaikira was saying. "He said the room was spinning."

"I daresay that was the grogh talking," Zeerod said sagely. "Meico, he had nearly an entire keg."

"Ah. That and blood loss the culprits are." There was a sharp prick on his neck and the hiss of a hypospray being administered. "The worst of the symptoms alleviate this should."

Sarigar took a deep breath and immediately wished he hadn't. The effort had re-opened some of the cuts on his back and they stung in the places where blood had stuck his shirt to them. "That smarts," he commented and opened his eyes. He was lying prone on the floor but Jaikira was only a few feet away, watching him as Zora worked on her broken wrist. There were several feet visible from his viewpoint but only Meico and Zeerod were kneeling besides him.

"Here you go, major," Zeerod said briskly as he slipped a comunit around Sarigar's neck. "I took the liberty of retrieving your things from your locker."

"Still you must stay," Meico admonished him. "A temporary dermal bonding here I can do. For more complete treatment, to the infirmary you must go." He clicked his tongue as his fingers lightly passed over Sarigar's throbbing back. "Rough games you play."

"Indeed," Zora commented with extreme displeasure in her voice. "I've got to get herrr to a bone knitterrr."

"It's okay, Zora," Jaikira said firmly. "We just let our tempers get the better of us. It's not going to happen again." She sighed. "It'll most likely never happen again."

"No," Sarigar said as he propped up on his elbows, "next time, I'll be sober and we'll be wearing full gear." He narrowed his eyes. "You play dirty for a female, all that tail slashing."

She almost laughed, but gave a sad smile and shrugged instead. "A girl's got to have an edge over a brute like you, major."

Meico patted his shoulder and held out one of his hands. "Patches in place, sir. Up now you may get."

In spite of the milling crowd of curiosity-seekers wondering what was going on, it was a subdued group that made its way to the infirmary. They parted ways there, Zora taking Jaikira off to have the bones set in her broken wrist and Meico leading Sarigar to have his back mended. The pink-skinned medic had the empathy to realize that Sarigar was not in the mood for conversation and wisely left his commander to his own thoughts. The hours spent under the dermal regenerator gave him time to plan a suitable strategy to deal with his current problem. After finding a loose tunic to cover the tender skin on his back, Sarigar knew where he needed to go.

The privacy seals were up on Jaikira's quarters but his rank allowed him a certain amount of override privileges. She was wearing a soft sleeveless gown that was by far the most shapeless thing he'd ever seen her wear and a light brace wrapped around her injured wrist. It was clear by the scowl on her face that she was not happy to seen by him.

"Major, hacking into my lock is a violation of my privacy rights," she said sourly. I'll have to put you on report."

"I've been on report before," Sarigar answered. He watched as she continued to empty drawers and stow personal items into the foot locker that was in the middle of the floor. "I thought you weren't slated to leave until the end of the week."

"I was in the mood to pack."

He leaned against the wall and let her continue to sling things around. Some of lacier items in her wardrobe were certainly intriguing but he was smart enough to know that commenting on them now would not be wise. When she finally seemed to be losing momentum, Sarigar spoke up. "We need to talk."

"And those are four of my least favorite words." Jaikira sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "There's isn't much to say, Gar. I'm going on assignment and when it's over, I'll be on the other side of the quadrant."

"I go wherever the Legion sends me," he commented. "I used to think that home is where your foot locker is." He slid over and turned her face to his. "Now I know it's where my heart is and that's wherever you are."

"And what sappy holo-vid did you get that one off of?"

He let the sarcasm pass and continued with another line of attack. "You do know what Jentuku was originally used for, don't you?"

Jaikira had switch gears and think on it for a minute. "For determining dominance in the slave pits," she answered. "The overseers used it to winnow out the weak from the strong."

"And for breeding rights." Sarigar lifted her bandaged wrist and kissed her fingers. "Not just males versus males or females versus females - sometimes males and females would battle to see if they were worthy of each other, to see if they were equals."

Her eyes grew round at the implications of this. "But neither of us won."

"True." He pulled her closer. "That was the exciting thing. We fought to a standstill because you are my equal." He looked intently into her eyes. "Before I joined the Legion, all the females I dated were the same - intelligent, graceful, and traditional. I was even engaged for a time when I was a junior officer but when the courtship phase was through, she broke it off because she said I'd changed too much. I'd left Jentek and all its highly rigid traditions behind me; my experiences in the Legion had jaded me. I accepted being lonely because I would never find anyone who could be my match."

"Gar...," she drawled, raising a skeptical browridge, "we are nothing alike."

"And I love that." He shook his head. "As strange as it seems, I like the way you push back and tell me what you think instead of acquiescing graciously. A traditional female would have been offended as hell to find erotic poems written about her but not you -- lucky for me. You proved you are my equal, you magnificent throwback, and if you think for a secton that being posted on the other side of the quadrant is going to keep us apart, think again."

Jaikira gave him the first genuine smile he'd seen on her since they'd heard the bad news. "Why is it when you talk like that, things don't seem impossible anymore?" She came into the circle of his arms.

Sighing in relief, Sarigar drew her in and held on tightly. "They aren't impossible, just difficult." He stroked her hair. "Difficult, we can handle."

"Can your back handle a little light abrasion?"

"I think so -- are you sure you want me to stay?"

"That's a silly question." She tugged him over to the bed. "Let's make the best of what time we have, Gar, shall we?"

* * * * *

Shining like shooting star in the pre-dawn light, the Legion shuttle soared into the deep blue of the upper atmosphere on its way to rendezvous with a transport ship. Sarigar stood there watching it long after it had disappeared, trying to get a grip on the tumultuous emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. It had been so easy to say 'no regrets' in the beginning but his heart was mourning her absence even now.

Only hours before, he and Jaikira had been in his bed, basking in the afterglow of another formal mating. They'd been careful not to neglect their responsibilities or their squads but all of their off-duty hours had been spent in desperate, insatiable passion. He had no doubts that quite of lot of it was just needful sex but underneath, neither of them had wanted it to end. He'd walked her to the departure gate and could not force himself to say goodbye; that had too much finality to it. Jaikira seemed to have had a similar internal struggle; just before the doors had closed on her, she'd turned and mouthed "Love you!" with tears in her eyes. He'd only nodded, too painfully aware that anything he might say would betray his inner turmoil.

An aromatic scent brought Sarigar out of his fugue. He glanced around.

"Coffee, sir?" Zeerod held out one of the mugs in his hands. He was wearing a jacket over his skinsuit and his fur seemed ruffled and not as well-groomed as usual.

"Thanks," Sarigar said, grateful for the distraction. "You're up early."

"More like I'm up late," Zeerod replied. "I was seeing Zora off."

There was a certain wistfulness in Zeerod's voice and the way he too was staring out the window that struck a familiar chord with Sarigar. "You too, eh?"

"Zora was kind enough to prove my physicians wrong," Zeerod said with a rueful smile. "It was rather gratifying to know I'm still functional that way. I'd thought that part of romance was over for me."

Sarigar sipped his coffee. "Do you regret it?"

"Physically, no." Zeerod grinned. "But emotionally, yes. Zora and I have an understanding. Her species mates for life and she still has deep ties to her late husband. I can respect that." He took a serious tone. "In some ways, I'm envious."

"How so?"

"I was a career officer in my younger days in the regulars. It was all about the glory of it, the adrenaline, and the thrill of the moment. I had my share of romantic dalliances but that's all that they were to me -- I never allowed myself the luxury of sharing my life with someone. Then I meet someone like Zora who speaks of her husband with such devotion that it's like they've never parted. I can't help wondering what that must be like."

"Painful," Sarigar commented.

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

"'Where there is love, there is pain,'" Sarigar quoted. "It's all very rational and reasonable when we're together but I never know how much I love her until one of us has to leave." He sighed. "I thought once we were intimate, that would take away some of this longing but it hasn't. Is it a weakness to miss her this much?"

"Perhaps you should look at it as a strength," Zeerod suggested. "Isn't a life with Jaikira in it better than one without her?"

"I suppose we'll see," Sarigar replied slowly.

**_To be continued in "Part XII: Roughnecks and Snakegirls"_**


	12. Roughnecks and Snakegirls

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts.

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

****

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

**_XII. Roughnecks and Snakegirls:_**

The darkened bar was lit at intervals with backlit colored panels behind which females of different species writhed and danced for the entertainment of the questionable clientele that frequented the outpost on the rim of the Orphides Shield. The seedy atmosphere made it the perfect place to make clandestine plans and underhanded deals, and subsequently, an ideal setup for a sting operation for intelligence operatives like Artemis.

"There's another batch of rogue miners coming in from the asteroid field," Rhianna commented as she set a tray full of empty glasses on the bar. "That tough-looking Orestran is down the street at the assay office. He's drawing a crowd so Jez wandered down there to look."

"Good," F'marrl nodded approvingly as she polished glasses between customers. "That means he's been paid and that always makes him talkative." She turned and talked into the mirror behind the bar as she put the glasses away. "We won't have a better time to lure him in, captain."

"I know," Jaikira's voice answered from behind the two-way glass. She came out dressed in black and silver - a finely knitted chain mail halter and hip chains over a black leather bustier and pants that fit dangerously low. Her hair was drawn up in a high cascade bound with a spiked metal band. "The problem will be finding a legitimate reason to get him in the backroom."

F'marrl cocked her head and cast a critical eye over the commander's wardrobe. "Not that I would know," she commented, "but that outfit would certainly do it."

"Yeah," Rhianna agreed. "I've watched him when he's in here. That's one Orrie into dark kinks. He'd beg you to whip him with your tail."

"Yeah." Jaikira studied the fingerless glove on her left hand. "Maybe I should challenge him to a Jentuku match." The other two females frowned at each other. After a brief bout of depression when they left Greelbase, their commander had thrown herself into their assignment but she still had moments when they all knew her mind was elsewhere. Shaking it off, Jaikira put her hands on her hips as she surveyed the bar. "Right," she said with a determined set to her chin. "Let's make this happen."

"Hey, feather head!" bellowed the broad-chested Orestran that strutted into the bar. "Bring out your best wenches and let's have a real show! Suipaiku is in the house! Let the party begin!" His angular markings seemed to have turned his sallow face into a permanent leer.

F'marrl cast a withering look at their target but nodded at him politely in her guise as bartender. She tapped a contact button beneath the edge of the counter to tip off the others. Rhianna locked eyes with her briefly as she picked up a fresh tray of drinks.

The red panel directly in front of the Orestran began a slow pulse to the music coming over the sound system, giving glimpses of an undulating serpentine body. A group of rough-looking miners sauntered in and took the neighboring table, much to the displeasure of the Orestran's party.

F'marrl didn't give them a second glance until she noticed that the tallest one was Jentekian. "Oh, eggs of my ancestors," she murmured under her breath and nudged Zora who was working behind the counter with her. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Who?" Zora peered into the crowd, her feline eyes better in the dim light. She rose on her toes and her whiskers stood on end. "Oh, dearrr... And overrr by the doorrr," she pointed discreetly, "that's Tonk, the heavyworlderrr that Zeerrrod calls theirrr heavy gunnerrr."

"It is, isn't it? There's bound to be others." F'marrl cringed. "She's already on stage! We can't stop now!"

"Well, this will cerrrtainly be a good test of herrr acting abilities," Zora commented, shaking her head. "I'll just pass the worrrd to the otherrrs." She slipped away silently.

The tempo of the music increased and the intensity of the lights behind the red screen grew brighter. Somewhere a female began singing a hard-edged shatter rock ballad with a low, sultry voice. As the song built, growing faster and louder, a stage extended into the room. With a brilliant burst of light, a whip-like tail split the screen and Jaikira burst through the crimson acetate, playing Naja to the hilt. She spun her body around on her tail in an impossibly tight torso twist and sneered at the audience at her feet with smoldering eyes.

"So," she called out defiantly, "which one of you guys is man enough for me?" Not pausing for a response, she locked eyes with the Orestran freetrader that they'd been keeping under surveillance for the past few weeks. Breaking into a seductive croon, she pivoted until she was looking at him over her shoulder. He raised his glass to salute her - and she slapped it out of his hand with her tail. It had the reaction she had been expecting.

"Yes!!" Suipaiku jumped to his feet, his slit pupils wide and dilated with excitement. "That's what I want! Five hundred creds for a private show!"

"Ha!" Naja scoffed and smoothly undulated away from the edge of the stage as F'marrl cued up the music for the next song. "You think you can handle this? Think again!!" She started off with a bump and grind move, rotating her torso sinuously as she belted out the opening verse in a throaty contralto.

"Woo-hoo!" called a green-skinned thug at the next table. "Yeah, baby -- shake that thang!" He nudged his neighbor who was nursing a mug of grogh. "Damn! No wonder you're such a wreck when she's done with you!"

"Well, now you know."

Those comments, clearly audible during a pause in the music, made Jaikira's head snap around for a millisecond. Jugger Grimrod was there with a ragtag assortment of males, and sitting next to him was Sarigar. He was smirking at her over the top of his mug and had changed his look so drastically from his normal by-the-book appearance that she almost didn't recognize him. He'd cut his hair, a close buzz cut on back and sides that made his profile less angular. Dressed as he was in the drab clothes and mismatched armor that most of the miners wore, he didn't look anything like a Legion officer, especially not when he was leering like the rest of the audience.

Her earring buzzed and F'marrl gave a whispered prompt, "Second verse, Naja!"

Grinning nervously, Jaikira tossed back her hair haughtily and let Naja work her wiles on the audience. Inwardly, she was panicking about how this must look -- Sarigar preferred them to avoid any signs of impropriety in front of their troops and here she was, working a room full of males up into a lustful frenzy. She cast another worried look in his direction.

Sarigar smiled at her and mouthed, _"Love you."_

Instantly, Jaikira knew that he understood the situation and whatever she did, he would tolerate it. That knowledge alone made it easier to do her job. A very naughty thought occurred to her and she wondered just how far she could push him as she began to wind down the song. Twirling her hair around her head, she continued the spin as it passed down her body -- the glint of the spotlight as the chain mail halter flared out, then the arc of the hip chains, and then her tail spiraling back up and around her body in an intricate pattern. At the height of her spin, Jaikira used the rotation to push right off the stage, across the Orestran's table and directly onto Sarigar's lap. His grogh flew out of his hand and splattered the crowd, but no one objected; they were too busy enjoying the show.

"I'm working," Jaikira murmured in his ear. "What are you doing here?"

"I can see that," Sarigar concluded. "I'm here for your report." His voice was steady but she could tell he was aroused by the hot look in his eyes.

"My target is at the next table," she hissed as she got up from his lap, stretching sinuously. "Provoke him." She pushed away from him roughly, smiling wickedly at the Orestran as she swiveled in his direction.

Reaching out, Sarigar narrowed his eyes at his black-lipped rival and pulled her back. He slapped his hand on her backside and said defiantly, "Mine!" The Orestran jumped to his feet.

"Oh, yeah?" Jaikira retorted haughtily as she slapped his hands away. "Show me the color of your creds, roughneck!"

"You don't want him," Suipaiku declared. "No ragtag miner can deliver the delights that I can." He tossed a handful of credit chips on his table. "Come here, girl, and give me a proper show!"

"Girl?" Jaikira blinked. **_"GIRL?"_** Her tail snapped.

"Now you've done it," Sarigar said dryly. "Jugger, back up. I know this tone of voice."

Eyes flashing, Jaikira stalked towards the sallow-faced Orestran. "So," she said in a dangerously low voice, "you want a 'proper' show, do you?"

Suipaiku grinned triumphantly. "You know it, baby!"

Her tail lashed out before he could blink, putting two thin slices across the chest of his expensive tunic. "You don't know what you're asking," Jaikira said with a cold curl of her lip. "I can dance so that it will turn your bones to water."

"I'll double my offer," Suipaiku said, his black-tattooed mouth hanging open as he began to hyperventilate. "I'll triple it!!"

"Too rich for my tastes," Sarigar said, throwing his hands up, "but you're making a big mistake, sweetheart. I got what you need right here."

"Money talks, roughneck," Jaikira shot back smugly. "Put up or shut up."

"Hey, I'll be here when you're done," Sarigar said. "You'll be back."

Jaikira rolled her eyes and smiled at Suipaiku. "That's what they all say." She was busy thinking of her next move so she was totally unprepared when Sarigar chose to do something out-of-character; he pulled her back and kissed her roughly in front of everyone. She was so startled that she wasn't sure how to react. Fortunately, this was not the case with her target...

"You dog!" Suipaiku roared and grabbed Sarigar, sending him crashing into a table. "Keep your filthy hands to yourself, rock hound!" He gestured to his men. "Get him!"

"Now this is more like it!" Jugger grinned and barreled into Suipaiku's enforcers. Red-headed Rhianna joined the melee by bashing the ones closest to her on the head with her steel serving tray. Heavy set Bezel and scaled Sanna headed in from their posts as bouncers.

"What--" Jaikira ground out as she cocked her fist back, "--do you MEAN coming in MY place and starting a FIGHT!?!" Her fist connected with Suipaiku's tattooed jaw, staggering the thick-bodied Orestran back on his heels. She caught him again on the back swing and was winding up for a third hit when Suipaiku caught her wrist.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and Suipaiku licked it away with a fat, slug-like tongue. "I knew you were a wench after my own heart," he said in a cold voice. "You like it rough, don't you?"

"Not as rough as you're about to have it!" she retorted and used his own grip on her arm to pivot him around her in a hip throw ... directly into a powerful slash from Sarigar's tail. His extended tail spikes clubbed Suipaiku behind the head and the Orestran sank into a heap on the floor.

Jaikira clapped her hands. "Well done, dear!"

"I aim to please." Sarigar nodded his head modestly. "Where do you want him?"

Dodging another combatant, Jaikira replied, "Stow him in the back. F'marrl and Zora will take care of him. I've got to cool things off out here."

Sarigar gestured to the massive Legionnaire that had been waiting by the door. "Tonk! Give us a hand!"

"Jud a momend, major." Tonk swept one massive purple arm out and neatly intercepted two of Suipaiku's men that had escaped Jugger's attentions. They dropped in their tracks like they'd run into a sealed bulkhead. Satisfied that they weren't getting up, Tonk lumbered over and collected the unconscious Orestran. Bezel came over to assist when it became apparent that Tonk couldn't fit into the passageway past the bar. Sarigar hefted Suipaiku's legs while Bezel steered from his legs.

"In herrre, majorrr," directed Zora, going before them and opening a door to a makeshift infirmary. There was a bed with restraints ready for their prisoner and Sarigar hesitated to think what other purposes that Artemis might be using the room for.

"Where's Captain Jaikira?" he asked, glancing at the monitors that had views of the bar. "She doesn't appear to be out there."

"Perrrhaps she's gone to tidy up," Zora suggested. "Her dancing was morrre inspirrred tonight for some rrreason." She snickered through her whiskers even as she went through the motions of restraining the prisoner.

Sarigar went back out into the hallway and continued down the corridor. A hand reached out and pulled Sarigar into a darkened room. His assailant slammed him up against the wall and covered his mouth with vicious, desperate kisses. He chose not to struggle but pulled her to him even tighter.

"'Mine?'" Jaikira asked incredulously, when she paused to breathe. "And what was the thing with the slap?"

"You are," Sarigar said gruffly, "and admit it - you deserved it." His fingers spread as he caressed her backside. "You know very well what you were doing to me while you were up on that stage-"

"Damn miner roughneck."

"Damn sexy snakegirl." He grinned against her lips. "Definitely keep this outfit."

"Oh..." Jaikira grinned back knowingly. "Gar likes leather and chains, does he?"

He answered her by kissing her hard enough to bruise her lips. "Promise me something?" he asked as they both gasped for breath. "Promise me when this is over, you'll dance like that for me."

"Are you sure?" she teased. "Look what happened to the last guy."

"I'll risk it." He sighed and held her tighter. "I wish I had more time. We have to rendezvous with the fleet in a few hours."

"I suppose the next words out of your mouth will be 'duty before pleasure.'"

"Regretfully, yes. I'm carrying sealed orders from General K'thok and I have to take a full progress report back with me." Sarigar lightly caressed the back of her neck. "Let's hope your target is feeling talkative." He pulled back and looked her directly in the eyes. "I don't know about you, but I was hoping we'd have some time just for us."

A slow, sultry grin came over Jaikira's face and her eyes sparkled dangerously. "I'll see what I can do." She reached down his torso and unbuckled his belt. "In the meanwhile, we have strict rules about carrying loaded weapons."

Falling back against the wall, Sarigar could only watch as she lowered herself on her coils before him. "I, ah, suppose you feel duty-bound about disarming me?" He bit his lip at the first cool touches of her fingers.

"Oh, yes. I can't have you pointing this thing at just anyone." She bit him lightly. "Just so you know, major - this is mine."

Sarigar found her logic to be particularly persuasive.

* * * * *

After an extensive review of Artemis' mission on the Orphides frontier, Sarigar went back out to find a less hectic setting in the bar. With his feet on a table and a cold mug of grogh in his hand, Jugger was holding court at one of the smaller side stages where a dancer was doing a show for him behind a screen. Rhianna and Kataki had taken over the bartending duties while Bezel and Sanna were sharing buckets of grogh with Tonk.

"Welcome back!" Jugger crowed. He waggled his eyebrows at his commanding officer and leered. "How was the staff meeting?"

Sarigar merely sat down with his compupad and commented, "I'll be going over the captain's report in more detail later. What's been going on out here?"

"We sent the rest of that Orestran's crew packin', an' Lt. F'marrl had a couple of the girls tail them. Otherwise, Tonk an' I have been blendin' in." Jugger grinned at the female gyrating behind the screen. "Enjoyin' the scenery, as it were."

Glancing briefly at the dancer, Sarigar recognized the way she held her hands in certain gestures and wondered if Jugger had made the connection yet. He shook his head and suppressed the urge to chuckle at the irascible Thracian as he went back to his reading. Becoming engrossed in the report, it was nearly an hour later before he was pleasantly disturbed by a kiss on his forehead.

"I see you've made yourself at home," Jaikira said as she settled in on Sarigar's lap. She had removed the chain mail and was wearing a sheer black shirt over the leather. He started to protest being used as furniture but she put her finger across his lips. "Out here in the club, I'm Naja and she likes to sit on people. You don't want me blow my cover do you?"

Smiling ruefully as he put his arms around her, Sarigar replied, "I suppose not." It was clear by the tone of his response that he wasn't that upset about it. Jugger chortled but kept his eyes on the dancer.

The door to the back rooms swung open and F'marrl came out, brandishing a pencil file in her talons as she headed for their table. "We have something," she said. "I double-checked with the surveillance we've been doing down at the docks. There's a correlation between Suipaiku's trade runs and the increase of Harkilon raids in this sector. You'd think they'd try something new after Orestra VII."

"What about those anomalous incidents out on the rim?" Jaikira asked. "The ones that those rogue miners were talking about?"

"He was uneasy on that subject," F'marrl replied, the feathers on her forehead ruffling as she frowned. "Orestrans get very uncomfortable when they get confronted with new information. I'm having Zora implant a false memory of this evening."

"Why the false memory?" Sarigar asked. "And what are these 'incidents?'"

"Standard operating procedure," Jaikira replied. "Zora uses a combination of psychotropic drugs and hyper tape learning to alter a target's memory, especially if we aren't finished with him. Suipaiku's contacts may be more useful to us in the long run so we're going to tag him and cut him loose after feeding him some kinky story about the back room." She smirked at Sarigar's raised brow ridges. "And no, I'm not going to tell you. Use your own imagination."

"And as for the incidents," F'marrl continued, "we're not exactly sure whether they're something to worry about or not. The miners that we've talked to aren't the most reliable sources so we've been checking to see if any of the other major spacegoing races know anything."

"Worst case scenario, it's an unknown xenon incursion." Jaikira shrugged. "If we don't turn up any collaborating evidence, then we're going to write it off as another batch of space dementia."

The comunits on all three Nomad members beeped. Pushing the cuff of his jacket up, Sarigar frowned at the readout on his gauntlet. "Bad news, darling," he murmured to Jaikira. "Gokk's ahead of schedule. We've got to head out now to meet the fleet."

Jaikira stuck her chin out. "I could refuse to budge, you know."

"I'd only have to pull rank." He pulled her into a tight embrace and everyone present found somewhere else to look. "We'll be checking in every few weeks," he said softly in her ear, "and next time, pleasure before duty, hmm? My treat."

"Mmm-hmm." She pulled back and smiled slowly. "I'm going to hold you to that, major."

"Duly noted, captain."

"You know," Jugger commented from his spot near the stage where he'd been trying without much luck to chat up the dancer behind the screen, "if you two get any more cloying, I'm gonna puke. Just kiss her, pat her on the ass, an' let's go."

"Love and romance, Thrax style," Jaikira commented dryly as she got off of Sarigar's lap. She looked back at the screen and smirked. "It's no wonder you started lopping off their testicles, Jez."

The dancer behind the screen shrugged her shoulders expressively. Jugger's mouth fell open as he backed away from the stage. "No-no-no!! That's gotta be Yosh or Miah or one of the other ones. She's too tall t' be Jez!!"

Jaikira elbowed him in passing. "Amazing what you can do with the right pair of boots."

"True," Rhianna commented from the bar. "Guess that extra four inches did the trick."

"But--" Jugger stared as Jez pulled out a knife with her signature serrated blade and began to pare her fingernails. "But--"

Sighing, Jaikira deftly turned Jugger around and steered him towards the door. "Here you go, dear. Jez has successfully turned him into a babbling idiot." She smiled sweetly at Sarigar with a malicious gleam in her eye. "Have fun."

"Stay out of trouble," Sarigar answered back. He took her chin in his hand and kissed her one last time. "I'll see you soon."

"You'd better be."

**_To be continued in "Part XIII -- Turning Point"_**


	13. Turning Point

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts.

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

****

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

**_XIII. Turning Point_**

**_Greelbase present, a few months later..._**

"So this is where you work," Sarivil said wonderingly as Sarigar escorted her through maze of buildings on Greelbase. "Or is it where you live?"

"Sometimes both," Sarigar commented. "I had no idea that you'd be coming for this symposium that the science division is holding." He nodded to a fellow officer passing them in the corridor. "Did you get my last letter?"

"Yes, and that's one of the reasons that I volunteered to come and present our findings." Sarivil eyed him speculatively. "What's this big favor you wanted to ask me?"

"First, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Sarigar steered her towards the shuttle bays. They came out onto an upper level walkway that rimmed the vast structure containing several shuttles. He narrowed his eyes as he searched through the people milling around on the floor until his face lit up with a smile. "There she is! Come along, Vil."

A slim Jentekian female came around the nose of a shuttle lugging at enormous gun over one shoulder and a box of ammo under the other arm. She was dressed much like the others but her grey shirt was too big for her so she had it knotted in front to show a bit of blue midriff. Sarigar whistled at her and as she came over, Sarivil could see that her shirt had "NOMAD" stamped across it instead of the arrow-and-bow Artemis design like the other females working around her. That, she realized later, should have been her first clue to her brother's intentions.

"Captain Jaikira," Sarigar said as he leaned over the railing to talk to her, "I'd like you to meet someone." He waved her over. "This is my sister, Sarivil. She's giving a report on her findings on Warworld for the science division tomorrow."

"Hi!" Jaikira called up to them, a smudge of grease marring her exquisite face. "I've heard a lot about you!" Sarivil could tell that in spite of her work clothes and general messiness, Jaikira was quite attractive. It was clear to her now that Sarigar had a considerable interest in her and his next words confirmed it.

"I was thinking of inviting Torie and Sarivil to dinner tonight. Would that be all right with you?" he asked Jaikira earnestly. "I know you'd rather it to be just us under the circumstances, but I'd like you and Vil to get to know each other. We might never get another chance like this."

"You've asked Torie?" Jaikira inquired. "Perhaps he could see her home afterwards?" She lowered her eyes demurely for a second. "You know what I expect from you later." She gave him a seductive hint of a smile.

Sarigar grinned in a boyish way that Sarivil hadn't seen in years. "I think that can be arranged, captain. Shall I come by for you at nineteen hundred?"

"I'll try to be ready, major." She waved up at them. "Nice to meet you, Sarivil! See you at dinner!"

Sarivil smiled and returned her wave. She watched Sarigar gaze fondly after Jaikira until she disappeared amongst the activity on the hangar floor. "Well, well," she said finally, "we're a foursome for dinner tonight, are we?"

"As you might have guessed," Sarigar said soberly, "Captain Jaikira and I have been seeing each other." He smiled sheepishly. "We've been together for nearly a full cycle now."

"Really?" Smirking, Sarivil nudged her brother as they stood together overlooking the activity below. "That would explain why she's wearing your shirt, wouldn't it?"

Sarigar cleared his throat and refused to look at her.

Fair-haired Torie Montroc was just as charming as Sarivil remembered from their earlier encounter on Warworld. He'd showed up at her guest quarters looking quite dashing in his dress greens to take her to dinner. They were having such a delightful conversation that they almost didn't notice when Sarigar and Jaikira arrived. Sarivil couldn't help but notice what a handsome couple the two blue-skinned Jentekians made as Sarigar proudly escorted Jaikira through the crowd. The tomboyish officer had transformed herself into an elegant Jentekian lady -- abet one who was wearing a Legion uniform with a thigh-length jacket of silver gray. Her hair had been swept back in a low twist with a few curls artistically arranged along her neck. "Major," Torie said as he stood up to greet them as they approached the table. "Captain Jaikira, always a pleasure."

Jaikira nodded graciously to both Torie and Sarivil as she took her seat. Serendipitously, Sarivil took this opportunity to observe how Jaikira and Sarigar acted towards each other during the course of the dinner. She and her brother had not been on the best of terms over the past few years but she still knew him well enough to tell that he was seriously enamored with the attractive D.I. captain. The looks the two traded told her that they were probably twining tailtips beneath the table, even though they were both entirely engrossed in the conversation at hand.

At one point, the leader of the band that had been playing came over and asked Jaikira to sing. Sarivil was startled when Jaikira accepted and even more stunned when she launched into a popular love song making the rounds on Jentek, accentuating the melody line with a subtle croon.

"She's very good," Sarivil commented to her brother who was gazing raptly at the stage. "It takes years of training to croon like that -- what is she doing in the Legion?"

"I've often asked Kira the same thing." Sarigar laughed without looking away. "She says that she'd rather sing when she feels like it rather than to turn it into a job." He closed his eyes as a particularly pleasurable set of tones filled the chorus. "She'd be like a songbird in a cage, not the nightingale that she is."

Sarivil turned her head and glanced back at Torie with one brow ridge raised to see if this was normal behavior. Hiding a smile, Torie cast an amused look at Sarigar and raised his eyebrows in agreement. Intrigued, she applauded with the rest of the audience and waited as Jaikira made her way back to their table.

Sarigar took her hand the minute Jaikira sat down. "Well done, darling!"

"Oh, I flubbed the middle line," Jaikira said deprecatorily. She paused to take a long drink of water. "Tyra sent me a holo-vid of her last student concert and she did a much, much better job of it." She smiled across the table at Sarivil. "My little sister," she explained. "She's in her third year at the Conservatory of Music."

"I've never heard that song done better," Sarivil commented, "and I've heard several different singers attempt it. It's a delight to hear it so well done."

Jaikira lowered her eyes modestly. "Thank you." She glanced at Sarigar who smiled and squeezed her hand gently.

Sarivil made a great show of examining her wristo. "Dear me," she said with a sigh, "I'm afraid I must cut this evening short. There's a ton of data that I need to review for tomorrow's presentation."

Standing up, Torie took her cue and said, "I'd be very interested in hearing what you've discovered since Nomad was on Warworld." He nodded at Sarigar. "If you'll excuse us, major, captain?"

After exchanging good nights, Torie escorted Sarivil through the restaurant, now more packed as people drifted in to be entertained by the band. As they tried to circumnavigate the crowd, Torie asked, "So, what do you think of the major's lady?" He laughed. "That's what Zeerod dubbed her when she and Sarigar first started dating and the title just stuck."

"I like Jaikira very much," Sarivil commented, "but is she always so formal?"

Torie laughed. "Trust me, Sarivil, normally Jaikira is a real live wire." He paused at the bar and tilted his head at the mirror behind it. "Just wait a minute."

Sarivil eyed the mirror. "What are we looking at?"

"The funny thing about your brother is that he has to be the perfect officer in public. It would go against his image to do anything improper." Torie looked up and grinned. "And yet, Jaikira has managed to get him to do ... this."

In the mirror, they watched Sarigar talking earnestly to Jaikira when he reached over and caressed her cheek, drawing her in for the tenderest, most lingering kiss that Sarivil had ever seen outside of a tri-vid romance. She gasped and stared in astonishment as her strait-laced brother continued to kiss Jaikira with such passion that it was like they were the only two people in the room.

"Oh-kay...," Sarivil said slowly, "who was that and what have you done with my brother?"

"You should ask Jaikira that one," Torie chuckled as he deftly steered her from the restaurant. "Ever since he met her, Sarigar hasn't been the same."

"But even as a child, Sarigar was so serious -- he rarely showed his emotions in public."

"I know -- I've served with him for over eight years." Torie slowed as they walked down the concourse. "Jaikira irritated Sarigar so much when they first met that he put her on report."

"No!" Sarivil cast a sly look at him. "And now?"

Torie grinned roguishly. "Let's put it this way -- Artemis is shipping out in the morning. The next time you see Sarigar, he'll be sleepy and chugging massive amounts of coffee."

"Oh, no!" Sarivil was both shocked and thrilled, unable to hide a delighted grin. "Twisting tails already?"

"They always spend the night together before either one of them goes off on a mission. Sarigar tried to keep it private for a long time, but after Jaikira bullied him into going to Ryssa with her, that changed. He stopped worrying about being affectionate in public and she started being a little more conservative."

"What happened?"

"You know, they've got been a little vague on details, but it involved a red bikini and an aquaball tournament." Torie laughed. "Sarigar has the trophy in his office but otherwise, that's all we know about it. Even her closest friends couldn't get it out of Jaikira and that's unusual."

"Well, well -- sounds to me if my brother wants this big favor from me, he's going to have to tell me the WHOLE story."

* * * * *

Torie had been a little off in his predictions; Sarigar did make his appearance well into the morning but otherwise he seemed perfectly normal. Sarivil managed to hide her surprise as she let him into her guest quarters.

"Can I interest you in some breakfast, big brother?" she asked brightly.

"I had a bite with Kira before she shipped out," he said congenially, "but thanks for offering."

"In that case, perhaps you'd like some coffee?"

The look on Sarigar's face was priceless. He scowled for a moment while she giggled at him. "Despite what you might have been told," he said dryly, "sometimes all Kira and I do is sleep. She just shipped out and we wanted to spend the night together."

"Oh, come on, Gar! We're both adults, and besides, Torie had to tell me something when I looked back and saw you two kissing in the restaurant like that!" Sarivil neatly curled up on a wide sofa and patted the seat besides her. "I had been wondering why you'd insisted on having her meet me. You love her, don't you?"

Sarigar sighed as he sank down next to her. He looked at his sister ruefully. "It shows, doesn't it?"

"Well?"

"I love Kira so much, Vil, that right now it hurts to breathe." He turned his head to look towards the shuttle terminal. "Every time we have to separate because duty calls, I feel like a part of me is missing."

"I'm glad that I got to meet her."

His eyes were sad but he laughed. "You made her so nervous. Kira is normally more outspoken and unpredictable. You have no idea what an effort it was for her to behave like a proper Jentekian lady."

"She's had some etiquette training," Sarivil said approvingly. "I could tell by some of her mannerisms."

"Yes, I think so too," Sarigar agreed. "She doesn't talk much about her family because they disowned her when she joined the Legion but I think they're fairly high caste."

This was an intriguing twist but Sarivil decided to file that tidbit away for later and continue her original line of questioning. A new thought occurred to her. "Why would she be nervous?" she wondered out loud. "You'd almost think that she was being presented as a betrothal prospect."

Sarigar shifted uncomfortably. "You're all the family I have, Vil," he said finally, "but I'd really like your blessing."

"How serious are you?"

"Well," he looked down at his hands, "I think a certain family heirloom would look stunning on Kira's left wrist, don't you?" He looked over at her wistfully.

"Oh, my -- you're that serious?" Sarivil sat back and studied her brother. "I'd heard about your broken courtship years ago through friends and that you'd swore you'd never go through that again. What happened to change your mind?"

"Ah." Sarigar made a face. "Kira has ways of getting me to do things. When we'd been seeing each other for seven or eight months, she talked me into meeting her for a holiday on Ryssa"

* * * * *

**_Flashback, Ryssa past ..._**

"Please, Gar? It'll be so much fun!" Jaikira was giving him that gamine look that always melted him. Sarigar was grateful that crooning didn't carry over the comlink or she'd be trying that too.

"Well, I do have leave time saved up," he admitted reluctantly, "but Ryssa?"

"It's great! I was there a few years ago -- water sports, spas, lots of relaxing and best of all, it's located right between us so we don't have to waste so much of our down time traveling."

Sarigar looked at her dancing eyes and considered the idea. Artemis and Nomad had been re-assigned to different bases in the sector for the past three months. Whenever they could, he and Jaikira had made time for each other but a few hours stolen in transit just wasn't the same as being able to wake up with her in his arms. The decision wasn't that difficult to make.

"All right -- when?"

"In two weeks -- Trillian says that he'll kick you off the ship personally."

"You... spoke to General Gokk about this?"

Jaikira gave him that devious grin that made him wonder what else she'd been up to. "Don't worry -- he's a big teddy bear. Just toss some civvies and a swimsuit in a bag and meet me on Ryssa! Love you!!"

Sarigar blinked and stared at the blank screen for a few seconds. He saved the message in his personal files with all the others and slowly made his way to General Gokk's office just off the bridge of the ship.

The ursine behemoth looked up and called out jovially, "Sarigar! It's about time you came by to pick up your travel papers. They've been ready for days!"

Sarigar leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms. "I can see you've been talking to that force of nature I'm romantically involved with."

"Hur-hur-hur!! I couldn't have described her better!" Trillian Gokk pulled out two goblets and began to pour the grogh. "She came up to me when I was last on Starbase Fourteen and asked me as sweetly as you please if I could spare you for a week or two."

"Oh, Ayal..."

Gokk held out a goblet. "Here you go -- drink up."

For once, Sarigar didn't refuse and tossed down half the glass as he stalked across the room. "Why does she do these things?" he finally exclaimed. "Going behind my back like this?"

"Don't ask me," Gokk chuckled. "I've been married four times and females still baffle me. However," he said as he refilled Sarigar's glass, "I'd say Jaikira knows you very well, old snake. If you were left to your own devices, you'd never take shore leave. Torie is more than capable of leading Nomad in your absence and frankly, I was shocked at the ridiculous amount of shore leave you've got coming."

"But still -- Ryssa?" Sarigar sighed and stared out the window. "What on earth am I going to do there?"

Gokk leered at him. "I daresay Jaikira already has designs on what she plans to do with you and I seriously doubt either one of you will get past the bedroom the entire time. Hur-hur!!"

Soft rain was falling when Sarigar disembarked from the Legion shuttle onto the tropical world of Ryssa. He had to unzip his jacket before he'd gotten halfway across the tarmac as the full force of the planet's humid heat took effect. It was not too unlike his homeworld of Jentek and Sarigar actually began to look forward to his vacation.

"Gar!" A flash of blue broadsided him and twirled him around as Jaikira made her presence known by wrapping her slim body around him and kissing him until he was breathless and dizzy.

When he could see straight again, Sarigar gasped, "Nice to see you again, dear. Have you been waiting long?"

"I managed to occupy myself." She slid back and turned around. "I decided to go native -- what do you think?" Jaikira had traded her uniform for a sleeveless white tunic over a brightly-colored wraparound skirt.

"You look ... amazing as always." Sarigar saw a brief glimmer of disappointment in her eyes and took steps to head it off. "Delicious, in fact," he murmured as he pulled her back in for a kiss of his own, nudging aside her hair so he could zero in on the spot on her neck that was so ticklish. "I like it."

Things promptly got out of hand from there and Sarigar barely remembered how they got from the spaceport to the hotel room. The need for making up for three months of being apart was more immediate than conversation and it was early the next morning before either one of them felt the need to talk.

Jaikira stretched underneath him, languidly lifting her arms overhead. "Mmm, you have NO idea how much I've needed this."

Shifting from where his head was pillowed between her breasts, Sarigar smiled up at her. "Oh, I think that I can relate. This was really a very good idea." He snuggled in. "Thanks for thinking of it."

"I am a genius."

"No arguments here." He reached out and lazily traced the curve of her breast, spiraling up to her pert nipple. "This certainly beats chasing Harks and Orries all over the sector."

She laughed. "So glad to be of service."

"Or is that to be serviced?"

"It was mutual, dear." Jaikira combed through his disorderly hair. "I think I'd like to go for a swim. Want to come?"

Sarigar laughed at her inadvertent slip but let it pass. "No, but you can go on without me if you like. You know the old saying -- 'males sleep when they're empty; females sleep when they're full.'"

"Poor sleepyhead," she teased as she rolled him over on his back and kissed him. "You rest up and you can catch up with me at the pool later."

"Sounds--" he yawned, "--good." He was asleep before she left their suite.

Hours later, Sarigar was rudely flailed awake by dozens of tiny beaded whips falling all around his face. If it hadn't been for his lover's familiar taste on his lips, his first impulse would have normally been to hurl his assailant across the room. Instead he merely groaned and blinked his bleary eyes. "Kira, what are you doing?" He struggled to his elbows and got his first good look at her. "And what did you do to yourself?"

Jaikira tilted her head to one side making a faint tinkling sound. Her long dark hair was now divided into dozens of cornrowed braids tipped with tiny crystal beads. She smiled impishly. "I treated myself to a day at the spa," she answered cheerfully. "It's usually the first thing I do when I go on shore leave." She flopped down on the bed besides him.

"Why?" Sarigar didn't want to spoil what was clearly something she enjoyed but he rather preferred her hair the way that it was -- lovely loose curls he could run his fingers through.

"Sometimes I just need to be all girly and feminine," she replied. "I've never been crazy about wearing the uniform all the time."

"I suppose that makes sense." Sarigar fingered a braid that was hanging loose across her shoulder. "These aren't exactly regulation, you know."

"So I'll get rid of them when I go back." She shrugged. "Every so often you have to try something different, otherwise life gets boring. Speaking of which, are you rested yet? It's nearly time for dinner."

Sarigar writhed, stretching his body all over and pulling the sheets off the bed. "I think so. A quick shower and I'll be ready." He leaned over and kissed her soundly. "That sleep did me a world of good. It beats having to stagger around swilling caffeine."

Jaikira laughed. "At least we know the shots are working when only you get sleepy."

"True," Sarigar agreed, but he had a wistful expression as he turned away.

That night at dinner, Sarigar couldn't understand why so many people were glancing their way. Admittedly, Jaikira was spectacular in a strapless red dress and the way her new braids glistened against her azure shoulders was captivating. She was listening raptly to the band, and while there was music was playing, a troop of dancing Harkilons could have paraded through the room and Jaikira would have never noticed.

A pair of males had been watching them from a nearby table. They were wearing matching sports uniforms in purple and green -- a handsome humanoid with long brown hair tied in a ponytail and ornate tattoos on his forearms and a Jentekian halfbreed with olive-brown skin and a red-dyed scalp lock running along the top of his head. Jaikira had gotten up from the table earlier to request a song from the band leader and the breed had been riveted to her swaying form the entire time. Sarigar narrowed his eyes at him and flicked his tail spikes irritably.

"Gar?" The noise had diverted Jaikira's attention from the music. "What's wrong?"

Sarigar lifted his glass and pretended to drink. "There've been some people watching us. Something's up."

Instantly, Jaikira was on the defensive. To the untrained eye, she merely laughed and fiddled with the bangles on her right wrist but Sarigar knew that she was actually fingering the bracelet containing her favorite garrote. She looked around casually but her reaction to the two suspicious males was not what he expected.

"Turco! Rex!" She smiled and waved at them. "Come and meet my boyfriend!"

"You know them?" he hissed urgently.

"Of course! I got into an aquaball game at the pool this morning while I was waiting for the spa to open." Jaikira grinned. "I haven't played in ages, and you know, I'd almost forgotten how fun it was!"

"Oh." Sarigar rolled his eyes, relieved that it was just typical fallout from associating with Jaikira and not something more serious. It wasn't the first time her impulsive nature had attracted attention. He wasn't comfortable with it, but he was slowly getting used to it.

"Hi, hope we aren't disturbing you guys," the human said nervously as he and the breed came up to the table. "I'm Rex Bruna and this is my partner Turco. We're here to play in the aquaball tournament later this week."

Turco smiled at Jaikira. "Hey, love the braids! Who's this, your father maybe?"

Sarigar fought the urge to belt the ignorant little punk and merely bristled at his insinuation. It was true that he was nearly a decade older than Jaikira but years of Legion training had made him more fit than most males of his generation. He decided that Turco's absence of facial markings indicated a severe lack of intellect as well as breeding.

Jaikira took steps to defuse the situation and snuggled up next to him, resting her head against his shoulder in an adorable pose. "No, you big goof, this is Gar. We're here on vacation together," she said with a giggle, establishing their cover as civilian vacation-goers. They had decided not to use their full names since the tri-vids often identified them as Legion officers. "After we broke in the room, he needed a nap, poor baby. That's why I decided to take a swim this morning."

The significance of this was lost on Rex, but Turco sank back on his coils with a slight frown. Sarigar smiled at them pleasantly but he kept his tail spikes extended for the breed's benefit. The subtle message was a simple territorial warning that he hoped wouldn't be lost on the younger male. Jaikira cut him a vaguely amused look but didn't comment on it.

Rex held out his hand. "Glad to meet you, Gar," he said pleasantly. "Maybe you can help us talk Kira into playing in the tournament. We signed up for the pairs competition but if we can get her to join us, we can compete in the mixed teams category too. From what we saw of her playing skills today at the pool, Kira's our best chance to win big."

Sarigar smiled as he looked over at her. "It seems you had a busy day while I was asleep."

"It's all your fault," Jaikira quipped, hugging his arm, "pumping me full of energy like that."

Leaning towards Turco, Rex asked, "Do I wanna know?"

"Later," Turco replied sourly. "Why don't we let them talk it over? I wouldn't want Kira's boyfriend here to get his tail in a twist."

"Well, okay, sounds good." Rex grinned sheepishly like a schoolboy. "If you want, Kira, we'll be practicing in the morning, same place, same time. Even if you don't want to join the team, we'd welcome the extra player to practice against. That goes for you too, Gar."

"Sorry for disturbing you," Turco said dryly. "Have a good evening." He gave Jaikira one long last look and smiled cockily as he turned away.

Sarigar managed to keep his tail spikes from rattling but it was a near thing. He glared at Turco's back as he finished off the wine in his glass. Catching motion out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Jaikira who was vibrating with barely contained excitement. "What?"

"I had no idea you could be so primitive," she said gleefully. "Male dominance posturing over me?"

His face grew hot and he shrugged. "Why not? You're worth it."

"I've never seen you act like this!"

"Well, I couldn't very well pull my hel-gun on him, could I? I had to check it at the spaceport," Sarigar snorted. "Stupid little bospor doesn't know what kind of trouble he's asking for." He refilled his glass. "You weren't seriously thinking of playing, were you?"

"I thought about it," she replied. "I used to play all the time, the whole family did. One of my cousins even went professional." She put a hand over her mouth and giggled. "He's the other black sheep."

"As a rule, Central Command frowns on officers engaging in activities that might reflect badly on the Legion." Sarigar crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. "Besides, I really didn't like the way that Turco character was looking at you."

"Why, major!" Jaikira exclaimed. "Is there a regulation against other males looking at me too?"

He sighed. "No, captain, I suppose not." Searching for the right words, he finally blurted out, "It just bothers me when I catch people like that Turco undressing you with their eyes right in front of me. They think that they have a chance at you because an old snake like me doesn't have anything to offer you."

Jaikira's mouth was twisted in a quirky smile. "Now this is interesting," she commented. "Jealousy? Where did this come from? Gar, you're the most self-confident male I've ever been with."

"Why are you surprised?" he retorted. "It's not always easy being carried along in your wake, Kira. You're young and attractive and the center of attention wherever you go. I caught more than just those two looking at you and it was getting on my nerves."

"You don't mind when the guys from your squadron look at me."

"That's different. There, you're the major's lady." He flicked his spikes. "Here I'm just another male."

"You are most certainly NOT just another male." Jaikira tilted her head and her tinkling braids slid off the back of her neck. She crooked a finger at him. "Come here."

"Kira, this is not the place," Sarigar said in a low voice, mortified that she would bare her neck promiscuously in public.

"No, not that. Just come over here and take a whiff."

Glancing around discreetly, he leaned towards her and sniffed. His eyes widened and he stared at her with an astonished, widening grin. Her pheromones had changed to a more provocative aroma.

She shook her hair back in place. "See? You may be older and you may be a worrywart but somehow all your male posturing has made me receptive without you ever touching me." Glancing at him demurely under her eyelashes, she smiled. "I think my old snake should make all these other males jealous and take me upstairs to our room."

There was nothing that Sarigar could possibly say to but to accept the invitation.

The next morning, Sarigar awoke to find a note on Jaikira's side of the bed saying simply that she'd gone swimming. After the intensity of their mating the night before, he was feeling rather mellow and didn't give it another thought; after all, swimming was one of Jaikira's favorite forms of exercise. In fact, he thought a swim followed by a leisurely morning reading at poolside sounded like an excellent pastime.

When he arrived at the pool, quite a crowd had gathered. An impromptu aquaball match was underway, and Sarigar had to fight his way through the crowd to find a good spot to read his book. He managed to ignore the noise for the first few pages but a name being chanted by the onlookers soon got his attention.

"Kira! Kira! Kira!"

Sarigar stood up and rose on his tail to see over the crowd. Aquaball was a popular sport combining volleyball, water polo, and unarmed combat -- it wasn't unusual for inexperienced players to be injured or drowned in the course of a fast-paced game. In the midst of it, he spied Jaikira diving under one of the defenders and coming up with the ball. She shot up into the air with a powerful stroke of her tail, spraying water in an explosive trail. Looking for an opening, she spotted Turco down field and lofted it high to spike it with a powerful overhead stroke. Turco grinned and rose on his tail to intercept it and pass it to Rex for the goal.

The eight-armed being serving at referee blew the whistle. "Goal!! Set and match to Team Rex!!"

Rex and Turco high-fived each other by the goal. Kira swam over and joined them, grinning and talking excitedly to them. Sarigar shook his head and went over to their side of the pool.

"I see you decided to play after all," he said wryly. "Nice underwater steal, dear."

"You saw it!" Beaming from ear to ear, Jaikira swam over to the side and took his hand for a lift out of the pool. "Wasn't that great? I haven't done that in years and I wasn't sure I'd remember how, but Rex explained exactly what his strategy was, and--" She blinked mildly at him. "Gar? What's wrong?"

Her swimsuit, or lack thereof, had Sarigar furious beyond words. It was one thing to wear something that scanty in the privacy of their bedroom; it was quite another to bare that much of her azure skin in full view of everyone else. To know that Jaikira had been down here parading around in a red bikini top and a matching leaf-shaped loincloth was almost more than he could bear. Turco was leaning on the rim of the pool, leering them with malicious glee.

Years of dealing with bureaucrats and diplomats took over before he made a complete spectacle of himself. Sarigar took Jaikira firmly by the arm and escorted her away from the leering mob at the pool to a more private spot. He whipped off his robe and covered her with it.

"Are you insane?" He ground out forcefully. "How can you be out in public, much less in a pool, in what you're NOT wearing?"

"Excuse me?" Jaikira gaped at him, looking remarkably waiflike as the water dripped off her. "This is the latest fashion, Gar. Everyone is wearing it. I don't have to follow uniform codes out here in the real world."

"That's not the point! Kira, you can't just go wearing things like that! It's just asking for trouble!" He lowered his voice. "That damned Turco was practically drooling over you!"

"Trouble? **TROUBLE!**" Her eyes flashed. "To hell with Turco, major!! You haven't seen trouble yet!"

"Kira..." Sarigar took a deep breath. "You're not being reasonable. Try to see my point-of-view on this -- wait a minute, is this what you wore yesterday?"

"Yes, what of it?"

"Gods, no wonder everyone was staring at you!!" He shook his head. "Do you even care about what people think when you wear something like that? Kira, you've got to stop doing this!"

"What? Dressing like a normal female with a nice figure?" Jaikira pulled off his robe and threw it at him. "And where do you get off issuing ultimatums like I'm some sort of subordinate? We agreed that when it's just us, there wouldn't be any rank."

"This isn't an ultimatum. All I'm asking is that you show a little modesty and a little common sense."

Jaikira tossed off a phrase in vulgar Jentekian, whipping her tail viciously as she stalked off with Sarigar in her wake. She paused only once when she passed Rex and Turco and snapped out, "What time is practice?"

Rex looked stunned. "Um, three this afternoon?"

"Fine." Jaikira glared at Sarigar. "Not one damn word." Her tail slapped the wall viciously as she turned the corner, and a small vase wobbled dangerously on a shelf.

"Whoa." Rex gave Sarigar a pitying look. "I hope she calms down by then."

"Don't count on it," Sarigar said curtly. "She's at her best when she's pissed."

**_To be continued in "Part XIV: Game, Set, Match"_**


	14. Game, Set, Match

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts.

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

****

**_Arrows of Artemis_**

**_Part XIV: Game, Set, Match_**

**_Interlude, Greelbase present..._**

"Oh, no!" Sarivil exclaimed.

"Oh, yes. We went back to our room and had one of the meanest, nastiest fights that we'd ever had." Sarigar shook his head ruefully. "Everything came out - all our little quirks that we'd been ignoring for love. Besides the age difference, she was impetuous where I was pragmatic, our command styles differed, and --" He paused and scowled at his sister. "What?"

Engulfed in a spate of giggles, Sarivil could only wave weakly for him to go on.

"Of course, you'd think it was funny now," he continued, "but then it was almost the worst thing that had ever happened to us. I would have moved into another room except the hotel was completely booked. Kira relented just enough to exile me to the couch while she was busy practicing for the tournament."

"I suppose you went into one of your brooding funks?"

"Only for an hour or so," Sarigar admitted. "If there's one thing I've learned, brooding does me no good around Kira. She moves too fast."

"So what did you do?"

"The first thing I did was to do some recon and find out about the opposition. I discovered that Rex Bruna was a semi-pro aquaball player from Ryssa who worked the hotel circuit. Turco had turned up on Ryssa a couple of years before after a scandal involving a team owner's wife." He scowled at the memory. "You have no idea how much that vexed me."

Sarivil bit back a smile at the irritation in her brother's voice. "Oh, I imagine you were very annoyed."

"I was, until I spied on Team Rex's practices. Kira, thank Ayal, had switched to a more functional swimsuit for sports and she was still so angry that she was hitting nothing but kill shots. Turco may have been lecherous but he had sense enough to keep his distance. There was nothing wrong with his sense of survival."

"Good for him."

"That's when I got my first lucky break. I found out that Turco's old team, led by a woman named Ciryn Leaneer, had the best chance of challenging Team Rex for first place."

"You didn't--"

"I volunteered." Sarigar smiled evilly. "It may have been a long time since my university playing days, but if the Legion had taught me anything, it's strategy. If I wanted to win back Kira, I had to do it on her terms."

* * * * *

**_Flashback, Ryssa past ..._**

Sarigar looked up from the book he was reading over dinner as Jaikira enter their suite. She looked as exhausted as he felt but there was no way that he was going to let her know that. He'd carefully arranged things so it seemed he had been around all day -- setting the catering unit to serve their meals at the same times and racing home from practice to beat her there.

Jairkira gave him a brief glance before flopping into a round chair across the room. It hurt like hell to know she was deliberately ignoring him whenever they had to be together. She had made herself scarce by giving aquaball practice the near obsessive attention that she always gave a new project. It was frustrating watching her work herself into exhaustion and knowing that she'd rebuff him if he said anything. Still, that didn't stop him from trying.

Swallowing a mouthful of food, Sarigar called out calmly, "Hungry? There's plenty of dinner left."

"Nggh."

It wasn't much but after two days of silence, he'd take anything he could get. He left the table to get a closer look. Jaikira had her eyes shut and her head was lolling back against the chair. Normally his first instinct would have been to chide her gently about working too hard but under the circumstances, she'd only accuse him of being critical. Jaikira solved his dilemma for him when her cheek slowly rolled to her shoulder. He waited a few minutes to make sure she was asleep before lifting her up into his arms and carrying her to bed. She mumbled and turned her face into the pillow, her braids parting to reveal the chevron markings on the back of her neck.

Before he could stop himself, Sarigar curled up in the bed alongside her and held her loosely, inhaling the pheromones emitted from the scent glands normally hidden by her hair. For a few desperate minutes, he closed his eyes and took comfort in just being near her. It was cruel that she had become so much a part of his life in such a short amount of time. He didn't want to think about the possibility of going on without her. The Legion had been his life up until this point but it wasn't as satisfying as it had once been.

He drew a ragged breath against her skin and held it, holding the taste of her pheromones in his mouth for as long as he could. The need was almost unbearable but he forced himself to let go and leave the room before he did something he'd only regret.

Jaikira was strangely subdued when she came out of the bedroom the next morning. Sarigar assumed it was nervousness over the first round of tournament eliminations scheduled for the morning.

"You'd better eat up," he advised her. "You'll burn a lot of calories today." He had already forced himself to consume a high carb/high protein meal in preparation for his own matches. It was only pure luck that their separate teams were in different groups and wouldn't face each other until the quarter finals in the afternoon. "I've got to get going -- good luck with your game."

"Why didn't you stay with me?" Her voice was heartbreakingly fragile. "Your scent was on the pillow."

Sarigar froze with his hand on the doorway and cursed silently. If he turned, he would never be able to go through with it. "Because I knew you didn't want me any more," he finally said, and he left before he lost control again.

He didn't hear the sound of a strangled sob behind him.

By the end of their second match, Sarigar was starting to enjoy himself. It had been years since he'd played but his skills were still as sharp as ever. His teammates were a multiple-limbed being from the Ophidian system called Otto who served as their defenseman and Ciryn Leaneer from Torqua Dun's home world of Denal, who was as agile as an otter as their forward. They had been on the point of forfeiting when their point guard had vanished. Many a Legionnaire had turned up drunk and penniless in a recruiting station and Sarigar would be following his career with interest.

"Well done!" Ciryn crowed as Sarigar neatly stripped the ball and slapped it across the court with his tail for a goal. "You've got some slick moves, water snake!"

Otto burbled approvingly, its responses being large empathic in nature than an actual verbal language. Sarigar couldn't fault its goalkeeping abilities however; when all of its arms were in motion, it was virtually impossible to get a goal past Otto.

"Check the monitor!" Ciryn pointed to poolside. "Team Rex is burning them up!"

Sarigar glanced up in time to see a close up of Turco slamming a forearm across the chest of an opposing player, breaking a path for Jaikira slip through with the ball. Their defenseman surged out to meet her and caught Jaikira in the face with a tentacle slash. Bloodied, Jaikira grimaced and popped him with a vicious jab/punch combination, following it with a roundhouse tail throw that sent her sailing over his back and into the scoring zone.

Ciryn was looking at him curiously as Sarigar slowly let out the breath he'd been holding. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked. "It's gotta be hard, watching your girlfriend go through that and knowing that you've got to go up against her eventually?"

"You have no idea," Sarigar answered, "but this was her idea, not mine. Don't worry about it. I'll be fine. You just concentrate on scoring against Turco and Rex."

"That's the other thing I don't get," she commented. "I know for a fact what kind of self-centered jerk Turco is around women. He says all the right things until he gets what he wants and then he moves on. How can you be so calm with your girlfriend playing on the same team with him?"

Sarigar smiled coldly. "Did you see what Jaikira just did to that player?"

"Yeah?"

"That's nothing compared to what she'd do to Turco if he tried anything." He shrugged. "So I'm not worried."

At the midday break, Sarigar rushed over to check on Jaikira. She was in the first aid area, holding an ice pack to her face. Gently, Sarigar pried it away and winced at her swollen split lip. "Damn." He stroked her cheek out of habit. "Are you all right? I saw the hit on the monitor."

"I've been hurt worse," she said sulkily as she raised angry eyes to his. "Turco was checking the replays of the morning bouts and guess who he saw playing for his old team?" Her facial markings were incandescent, she was so angry. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I seem to recall getting a similar surprise," he answered mildly. His eyes grew flinty. "Just thought I'd play by your rules, dear."

"You never even told me that you knew HOW to play!"

"University team, three sector championships." He cocked one brow ridge. "And I played in the Legion league until I made first lieutenant."

"But you're playing against **_ME_**!!"

"Which is how you like it, isn't it?" Sarigar planted his hands on the bench on either side of her. "Hurts being shut out, doesn't it? Well, this is what it's like for me when you go off and do these impulsive things without thinking. Don't you know that the things you do affect my life too? That's how deeply entwined we are, Kira -- haven't you realized that by now?"

Jaikira just stared at him for a few moments. He could tell her complicated mind was working through this conundrum that they had managed to get themselves into. He braced himself for a renewed fit of temper.

Instead, a tear rolled down the side of her face. Jaikira simply leaned forward and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He could feel her body shudder as she cried softly and he couldn't stop himself -- it seemed only natural to let his cheek drop to the top of her head and to encircle her with his arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "It was the only way I could think of to make you understand. You weren't exactly willing to listen earlier."

"Did --" her voice was muffled against his chest "--did it feel this bad when you got mad at me a few days ago?"

"Still does."

"How could you possibly bear this?"

"How could I not? You're the most irritating, impetuous, intoxicating female I've ever known and yet I still love you."

Jaikira lifted her head and laughed through her tears. "'Intoxicating?'"

He shrugged and managed a half-smile. "Whenever I'm with you, I always feel a little drunk. I'm dizzy and out-of-control, but I can never get enough."

"What a hangover I've been giving you this week, eh? We were supposed to be spending time together and all we've done is fight." She wrapped her arms around his torso. "How can we ever straighten this mess out?"

"Which one -- us or the tournament?"

"Both if possible."

"I say we both play out the rest of the tournament," Sarigar said thoughtfully. "If we meet in the finals, don't hold anything back. I won't go easy on you."

"What do I get if I win?" Jaikira asked brashly.

"Who says I'm going to let you win this time?" he countered.

She narrowed her eyes. "You are SO on!"

"You don't know what the stakes are."

"It doesn't matter." Jaikira stuck out her chin stubbornly.

Sarigar smiled and kissed her cheek to spare her swollen lip. "Then, darling, I'll see you in the finals."

The afternoon rounds of eliminations were fast and furious - word had gotten around that there was a grudge match between the two lead contenders. Between bouts, members of Team Rex and Team Cee took to watching each other's games. Sarigar noted with satisfaction that Turco was sullen on the sidelines while Jaikira was cheering him on. Likewise, Sarigar couldn't help but admire Jaikira's form as she sped through the water like a sinuous mermaid.

Ciryn was amused as she watched Jaikira blow kisses at Sarigar from across the pool. "Turco is going to hate it when you lower the boom on him," she observed, "because win or lose, you're taking her home with you."

Sarigar spent his dinner break dozing on a lounge chair in a corner of the players' waiting area with a towel over his face. He wouldn't admit it but he was beginning to sympathize with Zeerod. Since being promoted to major, he'd spent more time in the command center and less time on the training field and he had aches and pains in places he'd forgotten he'd had. When this was all over, he told himself, he was going to insist on being an active part of the field work.

"Sssh," came Rex's voice. "He's having a snooze."

"Big friggin' deal," Turco said curtly. "He's just trying to impress Kira -- just another old snake having a mid-life crisis."

"That's not the way Kira sees it," Rex shot back sternly. "And you'd better hope she doesn't hear you talking about him that way. Wise up, guy!"

It was by sheer force of will that kept Sarigar motionless and not lunging across the room at Turco. There would be time for him to pay for his impulsive words later on the playing field. More voices came closer echoing in the corridor and he decided there wasn't any point to resting further. He made a show of yawning and stretching as he deliberately ignored Turco.

Ciryn and Jaikira were chatting pleasantly as they came in from the females' locker room. Jaikira beamed as she saw him. "There you are!" she said. "Did you get something to eat?"

"Yes, dear." Sarigar watched Turco gag out of the corner of his eye and decided to toy with him. "One lap, no waiting." He patted the bend of his mid-tail region, in lieu of a knee.

Jaikira cocked her head and regarded him with mischief dancing in her eyes but she wasted no time curling up on the lounge chair with him. "How did you know that Naja adores aquaball players?" she murmured. "Or are you torturing Turco?"

"Right on both counts." Sarigar kissed her softly in the course of examining her puffy lip. "I see the medics patched that up neatly," he said. "I'll try not damage you too much when we win."

Ciryn laughed as she stretched against a neighboring wall. "You crack me up, water snake. What kind of sweet talk is that?"

Jaikira tousled Sarigar's hair. "Work hard, play hard, fight hard -- that's the Legion motto." It slipped out before she could catch herself and she winced. "Sorry."

"Luckily, we love hard too," Sarigar replied lightly. "Don't worry about it, darling."

"He's a legionnaire?" Turco asked incredulously.

"That explains it," Rex said to Ciryn. "That's why he's in such great shape. Turco couldn't figure out where Gar got some of his moves from -- it's that combat training you guys do, isn't it?"

Grinning, Ciryn punched Rex playfully in the shoulder. "Well, you're about to find out, Rex. It's nearly game time."

"This is it, honored galactors and sapiens from around the known universe -- the final round between Team Rex, led by Ryssa's own Rex Bruna versus Team Cee, led by talented Ciryn Leaneer of Denal!"

The team captains waved to the crowd and dove in, followed by their teammates. Ciryn called for a huddle. "Look, water snake, I gotta know -- your girl over there, is she Legion too?"

Sarigar nodded. "She's good -- try and keep your distance from her. Kira is a skilled fighter but if she has a fault, it's that she won't give up. She'll battle until she's exhausted first."

"Damn." Ciryn glanced over her shoulder at Team Rex who was having a similar meeting.

"I know how Rex thinks and he's probably picking her brain on you right now. Turco can match you for strength and skill."

"How's his temper?"

"It varies, but he can be a real hothead at times." Ciryn shrugged but then took a closer look at the sly half-smile on Sarigar's face. "Uh-oh, you've got an idea." Her eyes lit up. "You're gonna use that against him, aren't you?"

"Let's just say he's made that old snake crack one time too many," Sarigar said coolly.

A shrill whistle and the roar of the crowd heralded the start of the game. Ciryn and Jaikira went up for the face off, the more experienced Delanese player managing to bat it away into Sarigar's waiting arms. He tucked the ball into his body and dove beneath, using his more powerful underwater strokes to propel him to the goal. Turco dove down to intercept him, going deep to the bottom and springing up at him like an olive-skinned torpedo. Sarigar saw him coming and swerved away at the last minute, rising to the surface and throwing the ball away to Ciryn who was in the clear.

"Too late, rookie," Sarigar commented. "Better luck next time." He turned his back on Turco to follow the line of play, slipping into a sidestroke to keep parallel to Ciryn. He could feel Turco crowding him as they kept course with their teammates. Rex had come out of the goal line crease to challenge Ciryn and Jaikira was crowding her. Sarigar nodded as Ciryn glanced his way; she feigned left and lobbed a sidearmed pitch at him. A surge of water telegraphed Turco's move and before he could leap over to steal the ball, Sarigar met him with an overhand elbow strike followed by a forearm smash. The resultant dull crunch of his knuckles against Turco's face was most satisfying.

"Sorry," he called back insincerely and recovered the ball leisurely to spike it into the goal.

"Good grief," Rex said to Jaikira. "I thought you said he wasn't going to be serious."

Jaikira made a face at Sarigar, who shrugged and grinned back at her. "Oh, he's being playful now. You don't want to see him serious."

"We're back and the clock is stopped for a timeout in the third and final period of this championship match," enthused the poolside announcer, "and what an action-packed game it has been! Scoring has been tight between these two equally-matched teams with a tie at 2-2 at the end of the second period. There's been a fierce and bloody competition between the Jentekian point guards for both Team Rex and Team Cee that's become more intense as the game has progressed."

"There's an understatement," Rex muttered as he finished taping up Turco's wrist. The olive-skinned Jentekian half-breed had a broken nose, cuts, and numerous contusions thanks to his encounters with Sarigar. "You have got to stop crowding him, Turco. Gar is pounding you into protoplasm."

"No, I can handle him," Turco ground out, spitting blood awkwardly to the side with a split lip. "He's getting tired, I can tell."

"Don't be stupid," Jaikira chimed in. "Gar's got more endurance than that, I should know." She turned to Rex. "You need to set me against him."

"But you're his girlfriend!"

"Exactly." Jaikira grinned viciously. "How's he going to defend against me?"

"No way, Kira!" Turco said loudly, causing heads to turn their way. "I'm just as good as that guy. Let me prove that I'm worthy of you!" He put his arms on her shoulders as if he were pulling her to him to kiss her.

"Move 'em, Turco," Jaikira murmured, her eyes turned to cold flecks of ice. "Do you have a death wish? If Gar saw that, you are in a world of hurt!"

Rex moved to shield them from view. "Look, let's just follow the plan. Turco, you and Gar have the faceoff at center court. Stay out of arms' reach if you can." As Turco moved to his position, Rex stopped Jaikira and whispered urgently. "I think you've got a point. I'm moving Turco back to defense after the face-off. Can you handle Gar?'

"Hey, he's my favorite sparring partner," she said with a grim smile. "Trust me."

"Now taking the face-off at center court," the announcer began, "we have our rival point guards, Turco for Team Rex and Gar for Team Cee. Turco has long been a favorite on the aquaball circuit but newcomer Gar has certainly matched him blow for blow today. And -- there's the whistle! Turco gets the high hand on the ball and feigns a high spike but scoops the ball instead, turning the spike into a brutal piledriver!" He winced. "But that doesn't slow Gar down! He's grabbed Turco's tail and reeling him in like a big eel. This could get ugly!!"

"Give it up, old snake," Turco hissed as they struggled for the ball. "I don't care whether you're Legion or not. She's way out of your league."

"You're not a Hark and you're not an Orrie," Sarigar said grimly, "so don't make yourself my enemy -- just get out of my way!" He punctuated his words by popping Turco in the face with an overhand jab for every syllable. "And as for Kira, you never had a chance, punk."

"No friggin' way!" The halfbreed stubbornly held onto the ball, even though he was bruised and bleeding.

Ciryn and Jaikira surged at them from either side to intercept the ball. Sarigar was willing to back off -- Turco's persistence was admirable but was gaining him nothing but further injuries. He locked eyes with Ciryn and she nodded -- she was prepared to strip the ball at his intervention. Taking a deep breath, Sarigar plunged beneath the water and jerked Turco down with him, punching the ball out of the halfbreed's arms. He pushed Turco towards the side of the pool and went to back up Ciryn.

The two female players were well into Team Rex's side of the pool when Sarigar caught up to them. Ciryn was remarkably agile in the water for a humanoid, twisting and diving to keep Jaikira away from the ball. Rex appeared in Ciryn's path to slap away the ball. Sarigar managed to intercept it and lob it back to Ciryn only to have Jaikira shoot out of the water on her tail to snatch it from the air.

Surging up from below, Sarigar hit Jaikira in midsection, propelling them both up out of the water for a few feet and then sending them crashing back down. She held on stubbornly to the ball as they went under, glaring at him as she dared him to try and take it. He chose a different tactic -- he seized her head in his hands and kissed her. Their lashing tails stirred the water around them, driving them down to the bottom of the pool.

"Well, this is a new twist," the commentator announced. "The point guard for Team Cee has just tackled Team Rex's forward in a most unconventional move." The play-by-play screen showed a close up of Sarigar and Jaikira's embrace. "I don't know what's more startling -- the fact that that there's nothing in the rulebook against it or that these two can hold their breath that long."

Crowing at the disgruntled look on Turco's face as he scowled at the monitor, Ciryn called across the pool. "Payback's a bitch, hey, playboy?"

Bubbles surged around them as the water pressure forced them to expel air and head to the surface but the frustrations of their week spent angry and apart had been too much. Jaikira's grip on the ball began to slip as Sarigar re-focused his attentions on her swan-like neck, nibbling vulnerable places that he knew were ticklish. They bobbed to the surface, gasping, and Jaikira managed to throw the ball clear. Ciryn, Otto, Rex, and Turco all surged towards it as Jaikira pulled Sarigar back under but he managed to whip out his tail and spike the ball down the pool into the goal. The roar of the crowd and blare of the game buzzer went largely unnoticed by the two lovers.

Rex and Ciryn both had to finally dive down to them and make them come back up to the surface. When they all came up, Sarigar and Jaikira were overwhelmed with the response of the crowd. Jaikira grinned and touched foreheads with Sarigar so she could be heard.

"It seems you've created a new aquaball move," she said impishly. "What shall we call it -- the Legion Liplock?"

Sarigar shook his head and caressed the back of her neck. "No, just making sure I would win this time." He kissed her again, tenderly. "And I did."

"A bet's a bet," Jaikira answered back. "And what did you win?"

"Later," he murmured. "I'll tell you later."

Water swept over them before he could kiss her again. Ciryn laughed at the dirty look he and Jaikira shot in her direction. "Hey, water snake," she yelled to be heard over the crowd. "As fun as it is watching you guys heat up the water, we really need to get out of the pool. Awards ceremony and all that, you know?"

"Either that or get a room," Rex commented with an embarrassed grin. "Great move, although I don't think I'll ever have the nerve to try it."

"Oh, I'm sure Turco will, once he stops sulking," Ciryn said coyly. "But you could always kiss me if you like -- congratulations for the win and all that."

* * * * *

As soon as it was convenient, Sarigar and Jaikira slipped away from the festivities and went back to their suite. Neither of them felt like being around crowds of people and their teammates were too busy enjoying the spotlight to notice their absence. They were strangely shy with each other as they reached their suite -- too much had happened in the course of the last few days and they were both feeling the strain.

Jaikira broached the subject first. "Gar?" she said hesitantly. "Would you mind terribly waiting a bit? I'd like to fix myself up a little."

"Ah, that 'girly' thing again?" Sarigar smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "I don't mind, darling. In fact, you might find something of that nature in your closet."

"That would be the mysterious pink box...," Jaikira drawled coyly. "Somebody missed me and went shopping in spite of himself."

"It's easier to do when I'm not in uniform." He shrugged. "You noticed and it's still unopened?"

"I have more will-power than you give me credit for!" Jaikira sniffed in mock-indignation and flipped her tail at him as she disappeared into the bedroom. Sarigar sighed, pleased that things were starting to get back to normal. It had scared him to think that he might have lost her over something as trivial as their own bruised egos.

He picked up his book where he'd left it on a side table and settled into his reading chair, but his mind kept coming back to his relationship with Jaikira. They'd made a start on mending things between them but it didn't seem enough. There was a traditional solution that he was tempted to try; unfortunately, there was no way to predict how she would respond to it. He shook his head and allowed himself to get lost in his book.

"Well?"

Sarigar read to the end of the sentence and paused his book. "What's kept you?" he said absently as he re-focused his eyes in her direction. The book dropped from his hand onto the floor.

Jaikira posed in the doorway of the bedroom, idly twirling a loose curl around her finger. She had taken out the braids and her hair was alive with springy ringlets. Lowering her eyes demurely, she crossed the room wearing the gift he'd bought for her while they hadn't been speaking. The elegant ivory chemise shimmered softly with the luster of spidersilk as she sank gracefully onto the couch opposite of him.

His mouth had gone quite dry. Her mannerisms were exactly as those described in classic literature; a high caste female, elegant and graceful, as she awaited her master's command. It was such a startling contrast from the tomboyish athlete he'd been competing with earlier that he didn't quite know how to react.

"You dropped your book," she observed and flowed effortlessly to the floor to pick it up. Handing it to him, she flowed back to the couch in the same smooth movement, like a ritual dance. The corners of her mouth quirked up as she looked discreetly through her hair at him and dared him to make the next move.

Tossing his book aside, Sarigar joined her on the couch, drifting his fingertips along the curve of her face. "Mistress of my heart," he murmured, "enslave me with thy love and I will have no other until the end of my days." It was a test of sorts; he was quoting from traditional Jentekian verse that dated back to their days as a slave race.

Jaikira pressed his hand to her cheek for a moment and then kissed his palm. "Touch me not with words but with deeds; for the way to paradise is hidden within me and thou must seek it."

Thrilled not only with her response but also that she knew the text, he countered with, "Grant me the key to paradise and I'll seek it only in thy arms. Grant it not, and I'll battle to win thy favor."

"Passion unlocks the gate to paradise," Jaikira said softly as she leaned towards him. "Master it and thou shall master me." She smiled slowly.

Taking in a deep breath and letting it back out, Sarigar continued. "Mistress, mere words have failed me -- let my actions speak for me." Keeping his hands to himself for the moment, he kissed her and murmured. "Damn, you're good."

"To master a thing, one must be a slave to it. Surrender to thy passion and be a slave to me." She looked at him from beneath half-closed eyelids, her gold-within-gold pupils glowing. "So, do I pass or what?"

"I will concede round one," he said, not disappointed in the least as he lifted her left arm up to his lips and kissed her inner wrist, looking in her eyes as he did. "But I will be proven worthy." Without giving away his inner anxiety, Sarigar waited to see if she knew what his gesture meant.

Jaikira looked away, clearly flustered as she considered his unspoken proposal. By custom, most of Jentekian symbolism had to do with their origins as genetically engineered slaves. Classical literature was riddled with references to it, as well as the rituals governing etiquette and behavior. The slave bracelet of old had been transformed into a symbol to exchange between lovers as part of their nuptial vows and to kiss the left wrist as he had just done was to announce his intent to court her.

Drifting her hand down his left arm, Jaikira raised it up so that she could first rub her cheek along the thin skin of his forearm and then slowly and then deliberately kiss the inside of his wrist. Sarigar didn't trust himself to speak and instead reached out with his other hand to stroke her cheek. Lifting her left hand to his and threading their fingers together, Jaikira gave him a very direct look. "And this is what you wanted?"

"Yes." His voice shook. "I won the right to court you."

"You want the full formal courtship period?"

"Yes."

"Celibacy and all?" Jaikira made a face. "Because frankly, I think we're celibate enough as it is, what with me based at Starbase Fourteen and you cruising around on the Piecemaker."

"Point taken," Sarigar agreed reluctantly. "If we were together on Jentek, I would have insisted on it but under the circumstances, I suppose that's really not necessary." He smiled ruefully and looked at their joined hands. "This week has taught me that without you, I have an empty life. I didn't like thinking that I'd lost you."

"Me neither." She bit her lower lip. "I don't like losing."

"Perhaps we can turn this around so we both win," Sarigar suggested. "It's customary to set a task for one's intended during the courtship. I'm willing to change something about myself if you are."

Jaikira sighed softly. "You want me to be less impulsive, I suppose?"

"Just where we're concerned," he replied. "Your ability to take risks is what makes you a good field operative. All I ask is that you try to be a little more conservative so I don't have to fight off your admirers." He grimaced as a sore muscle in his shoulder twidged as he shifted positions. "I'm getting a little old for that."

"Well, if I have to be more conservative," she said, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes, "then you have to try to be more open with your affection. You can take military decorum a little too far -- sometimes you act so distant that I'd almost think you're ashamed to be with me."

"No, never!"

"I don't expect you to kiss me in a staff meeting or anything like that, but --" she bit her lip, "--it would be nice to have you acknowledge that I'm yours more often." She grinned. "If nothing else, Turco has been useful for that. I've been rather enjoying all the attention."

Sarigar smiled wryly. "What am I getting into?"

"We'll find out, won't we?" She leaned forward and gave him a delicious long kiss which led to more delightful things.

* * * * *

**_Interlude, Greelbase present..._**

"Needless to say," Sarigar said wistfully, "the rest of our vacation was idyllic, except for it being entirely too short. It's been an interesting courtship period, considering that until two months ago, we'd been stationed apart." He rolled his eyes. "I suspect our superiors felt sorry for us."

"Why?"

"Hard to say, but General Gokk and I have always spoken freely since officer school. He's been amused by my romance with Kira. I think he finally persuaded General K'thok to rotate Artemis off the frontier and I've been grateful." He smiled ruefully. "We've had a few awkward spots to work through but the courting has gone well -- very well, in fact."

"A-ha!" Sarivil sank back into the couch cushions and regarded her brother thoughtfully. "And this is why you wrote me and wondered if I still had some of the family jewelry, since I took it with me when I left with Cordar?"

Sarigar couldn't meet her direct glance. "It's probably too much to expect that you still have them, but I was hoping that maybe--"

"Of course, I still have them!" She smiled at his startled expression. "Honestly, Gar -- do you think I would ever part with them? They were all I had left of Mother and Father." Getting up and crossing the room, Sarivil took a compact case from a drawer and opened it. "I only have this one piece with me," she said as she took out a small pouch, "but the other two pieces of the set I left in the university vault in safekeeping." She took it back and handed the pouch to Sarigar. "Is this what you had in mind?"

Looking into the pouch, Sarigar grinned and then gave a quick glance at his sister. "Do you mind parting with them?"

Sarivil folded his hand over the pouch. "They were meant to stay in the family, Gar, to go to a bride, not a sister. When I go back to the university, I'll arrange to send the rest of the set to you." She put her hands over his and squeezed gently. "Consider it my way of making up for all those years I wasted."

"Vil..." He swallowed hard to maintain his dignity.

"Honestly, Gar -- how many brothers do you think I have?" Sarivil hugged him tightly. "You just keep in mind that I fully intend to be there when you put that band on her wrist so don't you dare go off and elope!"

"I promise you'll be the first to know," Sarigar said a solemn smile.

**_To be continued in "Part XV: Wilderness"_**


	15. Wilderness

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts.

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2002 to Christi Smith Hayden

**_XV. Wilderness_**

Warm sunlight filtered through the palm fronds of the cabana roof as they dozed lazily on the wide double-sized chaise lounge. The waves rushed upon the shore, sounding not unlike the low-pitched thrum of an engine in mid-warp. He snorted, scolding himself silently for thinking of work and turned his face to breathe in the fresh scent of ocean water drying in his lover's hair. She sighed and lightly ran her delicate hand down his chest, fingers drifting like feathers...

"Major Sarigar?" A rough, furry hand shook his shoulder, pulling him out of his dream and bringing him back to his narrow bunk on the Piecemaker. "Major! Wake up, sir!"

Squinting against the glare of the bedside lamp, Sarigar rose on one elbow. "What?" He blinked at his kangaroo-like aide. "What is it, Zeerod?" He swung his tail onto the floor, still clad in his skinsuit as was his habit on away missions.

"Urgent message from Greelbase, sir." Zeerod held out his dark green officer's jacket to put on. "General Gokk wants to speak to you personally."

What little irritation Sarigar might have felt by having his sleep disrupted slipped away by the time he entered the communications room. Lieutenant Arrick, the mantis-like night watch officer, looked up as he clicked his mandibles in concern. "Downloading mission parameters, sir," he replied in his high-pitched voice. He used one of his lesser limbs to tap the console. "General Gokk-k-k-k, Major Sarigar is here."

The ursine face of General Trillian Gokk filled the screen. "Major! We have a situation -- I need the Piecemaker to divert from its current heading. We just received a garbled communiqué from the transport ship Prometheus, time-dated from eighteen rotations ago. It reported that it was answering a distress call from a science outpost near the Pan Tel system and would be delayed in transferring Legion personnel to their assignments."

"The Prometheus, did you say?" A cold chill swept over Sarigar and he exchanged a worried look with Zeerod. He looked back up at the viewscreen sharply. "General, did the communiqué say what the distress call was about? Have you checked to see if any of those Legionnaires on the transport made it to their destinations?"

"We're forwarding the distress call to you but it's been badly damaged. Our experts are still examining it. I've already heard from the commandant at Drago IV. They were supposed to be rotating their units out and the replacement troops did not arrive as scheduled." General Gokk paused and Sarigar could tell he was choosing his words carefully. "K'thok is checking on his operatives, but they were on a deep cover assignment. It's going to take time to track them down but the field agent in charge is highly competent, as you well know." He gave Sarigar a direct look that said plainly who he was referring to.

Regulations were very strict on interpersonal relationships in the Legion; married personnel were never sent out on missions together because of the possibility that emotions might overcome military discipline. Sarigar and Jaikira were straddling a fine line since they'd become more open about their relationship and Gokk was taking a risk in giving Nomad this mission. Sarigar nodded grimly. "What information do we have?"

"Long-range scans of that area have turned up very little. They're sending a shuttle from Drago IV back along the transport's registered flight path but the Piecemaker is closer to the last known coordinates. Major, I want you to head there with all expediency and discover what has happened to the Prometheus and her crew."

"Very well, General," Sarigar snapped out. "Please keep me apprised of General K'thok's findings."

Gokk nodded. "The minute K'thok contacts me, you'll know what I know. Good hunting, old snake." The screen went black.

Sarigar flipped a switch. "Bridge? Major Sarigar here - I'm relaying a new course setting on General Gokk's orders. I'll be up momentarily to discuss it with the captain further. Sarigar out." He took a deep breath, let it out, and sagged for a moment against the console.

"Major? I'm sure Jaikira wasn't on that transport," Zeerod said sympathetically. The old warrior had his own reasons for being concerned; he and the Artemis medic Zora Ree had grown quite fond of each other over the past year. "There's a good chance Artemis transferred off at some point. If they were going undercover, they'd have to switch to civilian transport for their arrival."

"I put her on the Prometheus myself," Sarigar admitted, "but you're right -- there's the outside chance that she wasn't on it when it disappeared. Let's hope that General K'thok can locate her." He straightened up and adjusted the fit of his jacket. "Right. Go wake up Torie and have him meet me on the bridge. We'll need to review the data Gokk has sent us."

"Aye, sir!"

In the privacy of the lift, Sarigar bowed his head against the wall and said a quick and heartfelt prayer for Jaikira's safety. He was confident of her ability to think her way out of any situation but there were too many unforeseen risks in their line of work. Burying his personal feelings deep inside, he hid his anxiety behind a stony face and a professional demeanor when he stepped out onto the bridge.

* * * * *

By the time they had dropped out of warp, Sarigar and his second-in-command, Torie Montroc, had thoroughly reviewed all the pertinent information and was bringing Nomad up-to-date.

"--the Prometheus was carrying a full crew complement as well as two full Legion squads en route to their assignments. So far, only one of these squads has been reported as missing in action. The other is being backtracked. Satellite buoys tracked the transport as far as this system here," Sarigar said as he pointed to the holographic star chart in the center of the room. "Torie, what do you have on this system?"

"There's not a lot of it in the Legion database," Torie commented. "It's a minor system bordering the Harkilon Empire -- four planets and two major asteroid belts. The only M-class planet is Hielo, where there's a science outpost, originally set in place by the Legion science division but now staffed by civilians. According to the distress call, the outpost was being attacked by some kind of biological and they were requesting assistance."

"The last known act of the Prometheus," Sarigar continued, "was to notify Greelbase of their decision to investigate this distress call. That was eighteen rotations ago and there has been no contact since that time."

"Major?" called the ship's captain. "I think you should come and see this."

Sarigar and Torie hurried to the main viewscreen. They were just passing through the edge of the secondary asteroid field and approaching the pale blue planet of Hielo. The ship's captain pointed at a debris field caught in the weak gravity of one of the large asteroids. "Magnify that," he ordered. The image zoomed in to reveal large pieces of deck plating and clouds of metal flak.

"Is that--?" Torie asked.

The ship's captain nodded. "I had it scanned -- it's the Prometheus."

"Or what's left of it." Zeerod's eyes narrowed, his optical implant whirring as he focused. "I recommend full range scans -- perhaps there's an energy signature left behind."

"Do it," Sarigar ordered curtly. "Arrick, send some probes ahead to Hielo to search for signs of shuttle landings. The message that was sent to Greelbase said that they were going to answer the distress call. There's a chance that survivors made it to the planet."

Pacing back and forth behind the science stations, it was all Sarigar could do not to interfere but he knew that Zeerod and Arrick had the scientific expertise that he did not -- anything he might do in his haste to speed up the search might only hamper them. Instead he concentrated on learning all he could on Hielo in the Legion database. It was a sub arctic world with a short warm season, which unfortunately, was long past. The data from the science outpost for the past few cycles were unremarkable save for the increasing reports of unknown large bioforms that had been migrating out of the mountain ranges. He was reviewing the scientists' theories on the beast when he was interrupted.

"Major, I think I've got something." Zeerod's clawed hands clicked swiftly across the science station console. An image of the debris field between the Piecemaker and Hielo came up. "I've been scanning for multiple variables trying to put together what happened to the Prometheus and I've found something interesting." He tapped a few keys and an overlay diagram covered the original picture. "There's several strange things going on here. First, and I think you'll be pleased to hear this, the earliest energy signature I have is a faint emission from a Legion class shuttle. I lost track of it in the atmosphere but it clearly went down on the planet."

"Thank Ayal!" Sarigar whispered under his breath and then continued in a normal voice, "What else did you find?"

"There's a huge cloud of photons in orbit around the upper hemisphere of the planet. It's been drifting apart for several rotations but there's a lot of ambient static."

Torie leaned in over Zeerod's shoulder and pointed to a dissipating energy stream. "What's this? It intersects with the Prometheus debris here and here." He glanced sharply at Sarigar who was also studying the image closely. "It could be a photon accelerator -- we're not far from Harkilon territory."

Sarigar nodded. "Or a particle beam gun."

"Not another one o' those bloody things!" Jugger swore loudly. "I had enough o' that on Ragallun XI!!"

"The problem is," Zeerod continued thoughtfully, "I can't tell precisely whether this was fired from a weapon on the planet or concealed somewhere in this asteroid field. The debris field of the ship drifted with impact and that makes it very difficult to pinpoint its origin. It's just as well that the captain decided to stop here where there's some cover. If we'd gone in closer to the planet, we might have shared the Prometheus' fate."

"Major Sarigar!" called Lieutenant Arrick from a console across the bridge. "I'm getting a visual from the surface!"

"Are you following the shuttle trail down?" Sarigar demanded.

"Yes, sir!" Arrick clicked his mandibles as he focused on his task. "There was some initial inference when the probe was going through the upper atmosphere, but I've c-c-compensated for it."

"Let's see what you have then," Sarigar said.

Arrick manipulated the probe deftly, circling the outpost slowly as the others stared at the devastation from monitors. The side of the mountain was gone, tons of frozen rock and snow covering over half of what used to be a well-staffed Legion compound. There was evidence that a firefight had taken place; the remaining buildings showed burn marks and impact craters. One fact soon became disturbingly clear.

"Major?" Zeerod asked slowly. "Where are the bodies?"

"More importantly, where's the shuttle?" Sarigar asked back. "Are you sure you followed the projected flight path, Arrick?"

"Yes, sir. It's possible that the avanlanc-c-ce may have obsc-c-cured trac-c-ces of the landing."

"Full sensor sweep - let's find out as much as we can before we touch down. Montroc, break out the cold weather gear. Grimrod and Tonk, see to the ordinance. Zeerod, I'll want you to take a full science kit."

"Yes, sir!!"

Satisfied that preparations were well under way, Sarigar stalked over to the communications room and set the privacy locks. "Major Sarigar to General Gokk, priority one message uplink."

Sarigar took a moment to order his thoughts while he waited for Greelbase to respond. It didn't take long before Trillian Gokk's ursine face filled the viewscreen. "Your report, major?"

"The situation on Hielo is more severe than anticipated. Prometheus has been destroyed, possibly by a particle beam weapon, but there is some evidence that a shuttle may have escaped. In addition, remote probes have revealed that the science outpost has been damaged. I'm taking a patrol down to the planet to investigate and to look for survivors."

"Energy cannons?" General Gokk scowled down at a monitor on his desk, checking something. "That area is fairly remote, but too far from any shipping lanes. It doesn't make any sense for the Harkilons to set up a gun post there."

"I'm relaying our initial findings by subspace bounce. There's some time degradation but energy signatures indicate a high density particle weapon. I'm going to have Lt. Arrick stay on board the Piecemaker with a small detail to search the asteroid field. Zeerod seems to think the Prometheus was destroyed by two guns - one in space and one on the planet."

"Yes, that would be a wise course of action," Gokk agreed. He paused and breathed deeply through his nose. "About that other matter -- there's been a complication. K'thok reports that the area that his operatives were to be dropped in has broken out into civil war. If they're there, then it's going to be impossible to contact them until the situation is controlled. There's no way of knowing if she's there or not."

Sarigar closed his eyes momentarily. "All right," he said resolutely, "I have no choice but to continue with the mission as originally specified. I'll be in contact as soon as we've reached the planet. Sarigar, out."

* * * * *

Hielo was a serene field of glistening white from horizon to horizon between a crystal blue sky. Herds of indigenous herbivores roamed the tundra leading up to the glacial mountain range where the Legion scientists had established their observation post. They scattered beneath the shadow of the shuttle passing overhead, frightened by the alien intrusion.

"Alter course 3.49 degrees west, captain," Zeerod murmured without taking his eyes from the scanner. "The emission trail is stronger towards that notched gap in those mountains."

"Roger that." Torie had assumed the piloting duties while the old soldier had taken over the science station. "It's like they were off-course for a time but then managed to compensate, heading towards the outpost."

They circled the remnants of the outpost but a landing there was clearly not feasible. The vibrations from their engine made the snow shift visibly on the ground. "I don't like it," Jugger commented. "We should write this one off, major. If anyone was here, th' snow's covered up the traces."

"I'd have to agree," Torie said. "The ground's too unstable to risk a landing and the signal from the outpost's shuttle pad is coming from under five meters of snow."

"Zeerod?" Sarigar turned to look directly into the old soldier's eyes. "What do you think?" What's on scanners?"

It was several minutes before Zeerod answered. "The Prometheus shuttle is definitely here. It looks to me as if the avalanche pushed it off the shuttle pad." He tapped the screen. "It's lodged here against what was one of the observation posts, here near the treeline. However," he said quickly, "there's only three bodies in it and they're all humanoid."

"Damage?"

Tapping in a series of commands, Zeerod frowned. "There's a lot of EM damage, fried circuits, and so on. I'd need to have the override codes to do a full systems check." He glanced up from his monitors. "Major, we have to go down there and do a full search. It's the only way to be sure."

"Be sure of what?" Torie asked suspiciously. "What aren't you telling us, Sarigar?"

"Artemis was on the Prometheus when it left Greelbase," Sarigar sighed. "K'thok hasn't been able to confirm whether they made it to their destination or not. According to regulations, I shouldn't have gotten personally involved but I'm not about to leave here without finding out, one way or the other." He didn't dare say Jaikira's name out loud for fearing of letting any emotion show but his level of anxiety was building. His teeth ground as he set his jaw resolutely. "I have to know."

"I'm expanding the search parameters. There's a lot biological signatures but I should be able to isolate any sapients," Zeerod said, claws clicking on the keyboard. "Major, I will go with you if you want search on foot."

"Me too," Jugger spoke up. "T' hell with th' regs."

"We'll all go," Torie said decisively. "According to the scans, the majority of that shuttle crew escaped. If they're here, we will find them, major. Nomad doesn't leave soldiers behind."

Sarigar nodded. "Then find us a stable landing area, captain." He turned and called out to the rest of Nomad squad. "All right, you footsloggers! If you're not already into your cold weather gear, get into it! Time to hit the slopes!"

* * * * *

"This way, major!" Zeerod called, his cybernetic eye hooked into the gear in his backpack. "I'm picking up faint heat signatures." A spate of recurrent snow flurries had reduced visibility and Nomad squad had to rely on Zeerod's enhanced vision. The old soldier had used his mechanical skills to hook his cybernetic eye into the portable scanner he'd brought along, thus freeing up his hands in the rough terrain.

"Major!" Torie's voice called over the comunit. "We've found another set of marks carved into a tree. They could be Legion code, but they're partially covered by ice."

"How far away are you?" Sarigar asked.

"Not far," came the reply. "Jugger, the Iks and I are on the edge of a grove of coniferous trees. I can see Zeerod's eye coming towards us."

Sarigar suppressed a groan of frustration. "Dammit, Zeerod, you've been tracking Torie's party!"

"With all due respect, sir, I took that into account," Zeerod said curtly. "I'm tracking an entirely different set of heat signatures."

"I don't mean to doubt you but we need to be sure," Sarigar sighed. "We're going to have to turn back soon or else find someplace to set up camp for the night."

They came out into a clearing surrounded by evergreens and Torie waved at them as a swirl of snow passed between them. "Jugger managed to chip away some of the ice," he reported. "It's directions to a cave shelter." He checked the compass in his gauntlet and pointed. "One-point-eight clicks in that direction, if I'm reading this right."

"Major?" Zeerod had his back to them, his head turning slowly to scan the clearing. "Major!" He reached back and took his hel-gun from his pack and cocked it.

"Legionnaires! To arms!"

The snow drift beneath the coniferous trees began to shift and shake. At Sarigar's hand signal, Torie's section fanned out to cover this new potential danger but before they could fire, three more drifts on the perimeter shook off their icy cover and pointed weapons at them. The two groups of soldiers stared at each other. The camouflaged group wore a ragtag collection of scavenged armor covered by animal skins. The person that emerged from the largest drift shook off the excess snow from the thick white fur covering her like a cape and moved with a sinuous grace into the circle of their helguns. A two-fingered hand pushed back the fluffy hood that shrouded her azure face.

"Hey, heroes," Jaikira said a hollow voice. "Welcome to Hielo." F'marrl stepped out from the shelter of the trees to stand besides her.

Sarigar came forward. "Captain," he managed to say without sounding too anxious. "We've come in response to your distress call. Where's the rest of your troops?"

Turning her head like it was mounted on a swivel, F'marrl stared up into the fog-shrouded sky and held up her hand in a Legion 'full alert' gesture. The members of their hunting party froze. Jaikira grimaced and pulled a plasma rifle from under her fur cape. "Where is it?" she hissed at F'marrl.

Her avian second-in-command cocked her head. "Close," F'marrl hissed back. "It's circling."

Jaikira swore under her breath. She called out in a stage whisper. "Major! Get your men back to the trees!" She cocked the rifle and put it up to her shoulder, looking up into the sky. "Jez, Kataki -- get ready."

It was the urgent tone of her voice that made the Legionnaires react more than the words themselves. "Save your ammo, Nomad," Jaikira hissed as she covered herself up with the white fur, practically disappearing under its camouflage as she sank to the ground. "Wait for it."

Jugger raised his head and sniffed. He nodded at the questioning looks of his teammates. "Yeah," he murmured hoarsely. "Whatever it is, it's comin.'"

"Come and get it." A sudden flurry of snow obscured the clearing and the only way to tell where Jaikira was by the faint sound of her subvocal chanting. "Come-and-get-it-come-and-get-it-come-and-get-it-come-and-get-it ..."

A raucous screech split the still air. Incredibly, F'marrl threw her head back and answered it with a ringing cry of defiance, while gesturing a 'hold fire' command. As a large shape soared down towards them through the mists, several things happened all at once. Two logs suspended on cable swung out of the trees, the first missing but causing the flying beast to stray into the path of the second which looped around its lower body and snared its feet. Jaikira rose from her position and fired at it, but only managed to wing it as it fought against its tether. Several other members of the hunting party rose up to fire but before they could, a tiny figure came down on the first cable and landed on the creature back between its wings. A serrated knife rose and fell in savage succession, severing its spine and sending it pummeling to the ground. The attacker was thrown free and disappeared into a sinkhole beneath the snow.

"Jez!!" Jaikira shouted and slid over the snow to reach her. She whipped her tail around a tree trunk before vanishing from view.

F'marrl took over. "Sgt. Buruke!" she called out. "You're in charge of dressing it out. We've got only a few minutes before those canine scavengers pick up the scent."

"Nomad!" Torie barked out. "Secure the perimeter!"

Sarigar paid little attention to this as he loped towards the sinkhole. Jaikira's tail was winding up around the tree trunk and she and Jez were nearly to the top by the time he reached them. "Really, Jez," Jaikira was saying as she was pulling them both free with Jez in her arms, "I'd rather starve than lose you. Are you insane?"

"Captain?" Sarigar reached down and helped her the rest of the way out. Other hands reached past him to take Jez. "Jaikira, are you all right?"

"No," Jaikira replied, "but that doesn't matter, major. We need to get back to base camp. Night's falling and we're going to attract predators here." Breathing heavily, she took a moment to center herself and she gave Sarigar a tired smile. "Shall we get a move on?"

"Kira..." He started to pull her to him.

Her hands smacked into his chest. "Not yet, Gar," she said, her voice a fragile imitation of itself. "Not here, not now. I'll go to pieces." She bit her lip but her eyes told him how desperately she wanted to do otherwise.

Nodding grimly, Sarigar merely asked, "Where's your shelter, captain? You can fill me in on your situation on the way."

The shipwrecked Legionnaires from the Prometheus had chosen to bivouac in the shelter of the nearby foothills where they had discovered a series of caves. Their sentries met the rescue party just as thicker snow had begun to fall and served to guide them in. Torie took charge of getting Nomad settled while Sarigar continued to listen to Jaikira's report.

"We were halfway to our assignment when our transport received the distress call," Jaikira said urgently as she led the way into the cave system. "An emergency staff meeting was called and the ship's captain decided that we would divert to Hielo to deal with the situation. We tried to confer with headquarters but we never got a response before reaching the planet."

"General Gokk said that a garbled message came through subspace but very little of it could be deciphered." Sarigar glanced at Jaikira worriedly. Dark purple shadows were smudged under her eyes and she seemed to be running on adrenaline alone. "Were you dropped without any proper gear at all?"

"We were issued cold weather gear but regs state to wait until planetfall to don it." She shook her head. "Just after we passed into the ionosphere, some sort of energy pulse hit us and fried half the systems in the shuttle. The pilots barely managed to control our fall for a decent landing and when we touched down, the impact set off that avalanche that took out the base. We barely got out before the shuttle was buried."

"Casualties?"

"I lost a few people but I wound up taking in the rest of Hecate squad. Their command staff didn't make it." Jaikira sighed bitterly. "They were the last off the shuttle behind me. I got lucky and rode the wake out on my tail."

Sarigar stopped in his tracks; the thought that she had come that close to death stunned him. Jaikira continued on for a few paces before turning back to look at him with impossibly tired eyes. The bulk of their squads were occupied with their own needs so Sarigar opened his arms and waited. Jaikira closed her eyes for a moment, dropped her rifle, and fled into the comfort of his embrace. She made a small stifled sound that made him think this was the only time that she'd allowed herself to express the hopelessness of their situation.

"It's all right, darling," Sarigar whispered to her with his cheek on the top of her head. "You did everything you could."

"I didn't do enough," she answered back. "I should have insisted on putting on the cold weather gear before getting on the shuttle. I should have removed Major Kelso by force instead of letting him stay behind." Her teeth chattered in the cold. "We had to salvage what we could from the wreckage and from what little that was left on the base. That whole area is unstable. We set off several minor snow slides before having to abandon the site."

"You ensured the survival of your squad," Sarigar said firmly, "and you survived, and that's what's important." He tilted her head up for a kiss.

Jaikira stopped him. "Gar, no... I know what my teeth taste like."

"I don't care," he said and kissed her anyway.

Tears glistened in her eyes. "Why, major!" she murmured, "You love me."

"I certainly must." Sarigar allowed himself the luxury of holding her a few seconds longer. "And now, captain, we need to have a staff meeting. Go gather your officers."

Drawing herself up, Jaikira snapped off a smart salute. "Yes, sir!" She smiled impishly and disappeared into one of the side caves, her tail curling and uncurling.

Sarigar shook his head and turned back to the entrance of the main cave. Torie Montroc was giving orders to the men. "Major," he called out as Sarigar approached, "I've set up a guard rotation. It's getting too dark to send out a patrol."

"Agreed, captain." Sarigar looked out at the landscape in the fading daylight. "I've called a staff meeting. We need to set up a chain of command and divide up into sections to spread out the personnel we have. Nasty situation - the shuttle crashlanded and the command staff for Hecate was killed."

"How's Jaikira?" Torie asked softly. "She looked exhausted -- all of them do."

"Knowing her, she hasn't slept since they got here." He frowned back into the caves. "There's more going on here than what we've seen so far. Kira said that their shuttle was disabled by an energy pulse. Didn't scanners pick up excess photonic emissions in the upper atmosphere?"

"Yes, I believe so. Zeerod should have a copy of the scans - he brought along a shielded field computer just in case we needed it."

F'marrl came towards them, one of the few members of Artemis in cold weather gear. "Major, Captain," she called in her fluting voice. "Captain Jaikira is setting up the staff meeting in the corner of our sickroom. Hecate's only surviving officer, a junior grade lieutenant, is there with multiple fractures. The captain feels involving her will show solidarity between the various squads."

"It's a good diplomatic solution," Torie agreed. "Major?"

"Yes, I concur but we will have to clear the room if possible. Some hard choices will have to be made and the less rumors flying around the better." Sarigar nodded to F'marrl. "Let's go, lieutenant."

"I believe Zora was already moving some of the more ambulatory patients into the sleeping quarters," F'marrl commented. "This cave system is riddled with natural chimneys and we've set up fire pits to warm some of the smaller caves. The larger caves are too drafty to keep a fire going for very long."

The avian female led them down a smoke darkened corridor to a smaller cavern. Zora was settling a patient on a pallet and nodded to them as they entered. Only a handful of patients remained and it was clear from the extent of their injuries that moving them had not been an option. Jaikira was down at the far end of the cave, coiled by the bedside of a grey-skinned humanoid that had both legs bound in rough splints. Two more legionnaires were nearby as well as Jez Shivblade, who was wearing an oversized jacket and had her head swathed in a smoke-stained scarf. Noting their arrival, Jaikira rose to greet them, draped in a silvery thermal blanket in place of the fur cape.

"Major Sarigar and Captain Montroc," she began formally by way of introductions, "may I present 2nd Lieutenant Moraine, acting command of Hecate and her aides, Sergeant Canno Buruke and Corporal Kyros? I have assumed temporary field command of Hecate due to Lt. Moraine's injuries." She indicated her people standing at her side. "You know my SIC, Lieutenant F'marrl and my aide, Sergeant Jez Shivblade. Our medic, Zora Ree, will be listening in and contributing on medical concerns."

Sarigar returned the salutes and said, "Thank you, captain. At ease, everyone." He scrutinized each of them in turn. The injured officer from Hecate looked as if she were fresh out of officer's school. "Lt. Moraine, what was Hecate's original mission assignment?"

The grey-skinned woman struggled to sit up with her sergeant's help. "We were headed to join the garrison at Draga IV. It was to be a standard troop rotation."

"And Artemis, captain?"

"We had a classified mission in the outer Orphides system," Jaikira replied. "I'm not authorized to say anything more than that we were to be dropped into a level five security zone."

Sarigar blinked and stared hard at her for a few sectons. For Artemis to be placed in a high risk situation like that, their status would have been upgraded from a covert to a combat intelligence unit. "Right," he said slowly, implying that he and Jaikira would be talking about that later. "What was the nature of the emergency that caused the transport to divert to Hielo?"

"The ship's captain received an emergency distress call from the science outpost. They reported that they were under attack by some unknown biological that had somehow eluded previous ecological surveys. High orbit scans of the planet did not reveal any evidence to support this; the captain, however, wished to send a shuttle down to investigate. Major Kelso of Hecate and I expressed some concerns over jeopardizing our own missions and requested a subspace bounce link to confer with Central Command."

"General Gokk relayed the message back to us," Sarigar commented. "It was very garbled."

"There was static on the communication relays when we attempted to send," F'marrl commented. "We have since speculated that it might have been due to the energy weapon that disabled the shuttle. A weapon of that size would have given off a tremendous amount of ambient radiation. It is my thought that this might have also caused the unusual activity of the hostile wildlife reported by the outpost."

Zora spoke up. "Close proximity to that kind of rrradiation could have affected theirrr brrrain chemistry. I have examined several specimens of the local fauna and prrreliminarrry dissections have shown some evidence of prrrolonged rrradioactive exposurrre."

"Zeerod brought along a shielded field computer," Sarigar said. "Lt. F'marrl, I'd like you to work with him and add your data to ours. We have the scans that we took from the Piecemaker when we approached this planet. It's clear that this planet is being used to test some new form of photon accelerated weaponry and we need to determine where it is and what its limits are."

"I have a background in science," Lt. Moraine offered. "Perhaps I could assist F'marrl and Zeerod in compiling the data. That would free them up to do the field work since I'm stuck here."

Sarigar glanced at Zora, who had been hovering on the edge of the meeting. The felinoid medic nodded. "Yes," she said thoughtfully, "that would not be too strrrenuous. I was also wonderrring if Meico would be agrrreeable to sharrring the patient carrre -- this climate is not unlike that of my home worrrld so I am betterrr adapted to this weatherrr. I would like to take my turrrn on patrrrol."

"Captain?" Sarigar turned to Jaikira.

The Jentekian nodded her head wearily. "I have no objections," she agreed. "Zora's been instrumental in setting up this shelter. Her survival skills are largely what's kept us alive thus far."

He turned back to Zora. "I agree but you'll need to coordinate with Meico. We have a shuttle available to evac these patients but we'll have to find a closer landing spot."

"Getting a shuttle in or out is going to be difficult," Jaikira interjected. "When our squads met up tonight, we had just come down the mountain. Canno," she indicated the dark-skinned human male from Hecate, "has spent the past week triangulating where the energy beams have been coming from."

"Sergeant?"

Canno snapped to attention smartly in spite of his fatigue. "We've been observing random firings of a possible particle beam weapon since we made planetfall. I was stationed as security chief at a weapons development lab and what I've observed is consistent with that. We've pinpointed what appears to be the nearest source - a caldera farther west down the mountain range. There seems to be other installations as well but without orbital scans, I couldn't hazard a guess as to their locations."

"I managed to take some new readings from a higher elevation," F'marrl added. "An analysis should confirm our theory."

"I'll get Zeerod to set up his equipment in here immediately," Torie said curtly. "We can work on that tonight and coordinate operations for tomorrow."

"Agreed," Sarigar nodded. "Get some rest, people. We'll move at first light." At his words, the staff meeting broke up. Torie and F'marrl were only gone a brief time to return with Zeerod and his science kit. Kataki followed them in and murmured something quietly to Zora.

"Speaking of light," Zora murmured as she dug through her medkit, "it has just been brrrought to my attention that we need to starrrt a couple of new firrres. Captain, if you would?"

Pushing the hood of her skinsuit back from her face, Jaikira looked up at him ruefully. "I wouldn't watch this if I were you."

Unfortunately, Sarigar was too shocked to look away. What was once a glorious mane of ebon curls was now tattered layers of dull, lifeless locks. As he watched, Zora took a pair of surgical shears and neatly sheared off several more inches.

"Medic Ree!" he exclaimed, finally finding his voice. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Believe or not, major," Jaikira answered, "this is the only way to get a fire started. The wood here doesn't have enough natural resin to catch fire easily so F'marrl and Zora experimented and found that certain types of hair work well as tinder."

"We have portable heating elements! That was totally unnecessary!"

"Save 'em," Jaikira said curtly as she rose back up. "I'd rather use their power cells to re-charge our weapons. Until we are back on Greelbase, major, we need to conserve all our resources." She turned and left the make-shift sickbay.

Sarigar stared after her for a few moments. This wasn't the Jaikira he knew and loved. He had a feeling that this emergency had stretched her well beyond her limits. The tired look in her eyes spoke more of her mental and emotional exhaustion than mere physical hardships. He frowned and glanced around the room, glowering briefly at the Artemis medic. A thought occurred to him.

"Zora? A word with you, please..."

* * * * *

In the course of tracking down his errant lover, Sarigar made a thorough inspection of the troops sheltered in the cave system. As Torie had observed earlier, the survivors of Hecate and Artemis had held up well enough under these circumstances but even the strongest of them were showing the strain. Nomad had taken over guard duties and it was at the mouth of the cave that he found Jugger Grimrod having a spirited if one-sided conversation with Jez Shivblade.

"I still say that was a bloody fool thing you did, jumpin' out of a tree on that bird thing." He glared at his diminutive companion who merely shrugged with her hands buried deep within her pockets. "Damned ballsy of you but I coulda shot you. We were all aimin' at it!"

A howl rose up out in the snowy night that was answered all over the valley. Jugger flipped up his visor and put a pair of binoculars to his eyes. "Can't see nuthin' in this mess," he complained.

"Adjust it to infrared," Jez suggested in her metallic-sounding voice. "Read the heat signatures." Her willingness to use her hated synthbox suggested that she found it too cold to use sign language.

"Gotcha." He stood perfectly still for a moment and then swore. "Those friggin' things are bigger than a Thracian targ! Are those th' scavengers F'marrl was talkin' about earlier?"

Curious, Sarigar came up behind them. "Jugger," he commanded, "let me see."

"Sure thing, major, but you ain't gonna like it."

He took the proffered binoculars and scanned the frigid landscape, adjusting the settings for Jentekian vision. "Where are they?"

"Treeline," Jez offered. "Canno had the bright idea to mark our territory out there."

Jugger snorted. "Does that mean what I think it means?" When Jez nodded, he made a face. "In this cold? Sounds like one tough rammer."

Ignoring their banter, Sarigar focused on the trees lining the narrow valley. There were flitting images, glowing eerily in the infrared setting. He zoomed in and re-focused on a pack of four-legged hunters, large and muscular as they wove in and out of the trees, casting about for scents and covering them with their own territorial markings. Sarigar grimaced and handed the viewers back to Grimrod. "Formidable creatures," he concluded. "Have they given you much trouble?"

Jez shrugged. "So-so. They did at first but when we killed a few of them, they backed off. That's where Jaikira got that fur cape from."

"Speaking of which, do you know where she's gotten off to?"

Sharing a smirk with Jugger, Jez replied, "Probably gone off to have a wash, major. There's a cavern with a stream running through it, just behind Zora's sickbay." As he moved off, she added, "And major? She needs you."

He heard Jaikira long before he found her. She was kneeling by a clear pool, splashing water on her face. Someone had left a freshly opened field pack and it appeared that more than one person had made use of the hygienic products. She sighed as she looked at her reflection in the water and raked her fingers through her hair in a futile effort to make it more presentable.

"Don't worry about it, darling," Sarigar said as he came further into the cave. "You always look beautiful to me."

"I look like the morning after a weekend bender," Jaikira grumbled. She pulled the thermal blanket back around her shoulders and rose up slowly, slithering carefully around the pool's edge. "Everyone tucked in for the night?"

"Everyone but us." Leading her over to the cave wall, Sarigar lowered himself in a series of loose ovals. "One lap, no waiting," he said with the faintest of smiles. "It's an offer Naja wouldn't pass up."

"Naja has better sense than to be here," Jaikira retorted but she wound her saurian tail along the inner loops of his coils and arranged her blanket to cover them both.

"Have you eaten?" he inquired solicitously as he unzipped his parka. "I have some ration bars. I know how little you like to eat meat."

Jaikira shook her head. "If I eat, I'll get sleepy. If I sleep, who'll take care of things? Besides, we need to conserve our supplies."

"It's a little alarming to hear my words coming out of your mouth." Sarigar took out a ration bar and opened it. "You've done an admirable job, darling, but even I know when to stop and rest. You need to let me take care of you now."

"Gar..." Her tone of voice was resentful but she was so drained emotionally and physically that her eyes had no spark left in them.

"Kira..." Sarigar said reproachfully, breaking the ration bar in half, "I will not have you wasting away on me." He pinched off a bite-sized bit and offered it to her. "Open up or I'm going to pull rank on you."

Sighing, Jaikira opened her mouth dutifully and let him feed her. She chewed thoughtfully for a full minute, savoring the taste, before holding out her hand for the rest. "You know," she commented between bites, "I used to think these things were nasty."

"'Hunger makes the best sauce,'" Sarigar quoted as he watched her devour the field ration. He fingered her uneven hair regretfully and sighed.

"It'll grow back."

"I know."

She laughed. "You should have seen your face, Gar. I don't think you knew whether to cry or to shoot Zora."

He made a disgruntled noise and scowled. "I've been worried about you ever since Gokk sent us after the Prometheus. We had no idea if you were on the ship or not because K'thok couldn't confirm if Artemis had made it to its assignment. You're missing a civil war wherever it was that you were going."

"Damn, and we had front row seats for that too."

"That's another thing we have to talk about," Sarigar said severely. "When did Artemis get approved for combat missions? I thought you were strictly covert intelligence."

"We've been approved for combat for ages, dear, you know that." Jaikira yawned, turning her head away from him and covering her mouth delicately. "K'thok wanted us to have the battle experience and frankly I need it if I want to be promoted. Intelligence operatives have to be able to function in any situation and it doesn't look good if I keep getting pigeonholed into the same assignments all the time."

"Hmmph." He bit back his opinion on that because Jaikira had taken that moment to lay her head on his left shoulder. She half-sighed, half-yawned as she relaxed in his arms.

"I'm so glad you're here, Gar." Her eyelids seemed heavy.

Sweeping the wayward wisps of hair away, he kissed her forehead. "I will always be there when you need me, Kira -- never doubt that."

"I love you." She gave a wan smile. "I don't ever seem to say that enough." Her voice was faint and child-like.

"You don't have to, darling. I know." He waited as her breathing slowed and her body sank into the nest of their looped coils. Zora crept in on silent feet and carefully did a quick scan. Sarigar asked quietly, "Is she all right? She went down awfully fast."

"She'll be fine," the Artemis medic whispered back. "She's rrrefused to rrrest since we made planetfall."

"Well, she'll rest now," Sarigar said firmly. "How long will the sedative last?"

"I only injected that ration barrr with a small dose -- six to eight hourrrs maybe." Zora tucked the thermal blanket snugly around Jaikira. "That was good thinking. I doubt anyone else would have gotten herrr to rrrelax enough for it to worrrk."

Sarigar nodded. "I'll stay with her for a while. Find someone to take my place -- no point wasting a warm spot. I'll want to take a patrol out to check that gun embankment before sunup." He shifted her around to a more comfortable position after Zora left and leaned back against the wall.

The weight of her body leaning against him made the object in his inside pocket grate against his chestplate. Smiling to himself, Sarigar took the soft pouch out of his jacket and carefully placed the ornament on Jaikira's left wrist.

"I wish you could see how good this looks on you, darling," he murmured into her hair. "When we get out of here, I'll do it right, you'll see." He sighed. "Until then, I'll guard your dreams."

* * * * *

An insistent hand on his shoulder shook Sarigar awake. He hadn't been aware of dozing off but apparently he had with Jaikira curled up in his arms. Jez Shivblade was kneeling besides him, her jet black eyes nearly invisible in the dim torchlight. She gestured, using simple Legion sign language.

_"It's only been a few hours,"_ she commented, _"but the computer's turned up some new data. They want you to see it."_

"All right," Sarigar answered softly. "Are you taking my place?" When she nodded, he began the arduous process of unwinding himself from Jaikira and lifting her up so Jez could slip into the warm spot he'd left behind. The tiny Thracian nodded at him before closing her eyes and burrowing deep within her over-sized coat, Jaikira's head cradled in her lap.

There was a small crowd huddled around Zeerod's field computer. Lt. Morraine had control of the keyboard and was conferring with F'marrl and Zeerod. Torie Montroc noticed Sarigar's arrival and saluted.

"Major, we've got something," Torie said in a quiet yet urgent voice. "Zeerod had Sgt. Buruke and his men set up a satellite dish and we managed to uplink to the computers on the Piecemaker."

"What do you have?" Sarigar asked briskly.

"As near as we can ascertain," F'marrl said didactically, "what we've discovered appears to be a new kind of weapon -- a pulse cannon battery working in tandem from more than one location. There are actually three guns on the planet -- but they are not yet all functional."

"Can the Piecemaker confirm this?"

"Yes," Torie answered. "Arrick has more -- his group encountered a Harkilon shuttle in the asteroid field. He chose to track them and they led him to a hidden satellite. It's perfectly positioned to receive the photonic emissions from the planetary guns and re-focus them. The Harks can re-direct the beams in any direction."

"The Legion weapons division has been working on something like this for a while," Zeerod said in soft, serious tones. "I had a word with Sgt. Buruke and he agrees. If these guns can be focused on that satellite concealed in the asteroid belt, all the guns will form one big mega planet killer capable of reaching the space lanes and destroying everything in its path."

Sarigar was silent for a moment as he absorbed the information. "Where's the Piecemaker now?"

"It's keeping a geosynchronous orbit over the planet," Torie answered, "and staying out of targeting range. The ship's captain doesn't want to end up like the Prometheus."

"Lt. Morraine has been running a computer simulation," F'marrl commented, "and we've determined that we'll need to do take out at least two of the components of the weapons array, preferably the satellite and at least one of the gun placements."

"How's the weather?"

"Still snowing," Torie reported, "but orbital scans show a more severe storm system approaching from the west. We'll have a few hours before it gets here but after that, the shuttles will be grounded. If we're going to act on this, we'll need to do it as soon as possible."

"I agree," Sarigar nodded as he consulted the chronounit on his gauntlet. "Put together an assault group. F'marrl, you work with Torie. Nomad will spearhead the assault but I'll want those members of Artemis and Hecate that have had the most experience in these mountains to go with us. Torie, have the Piecemaker send down a transport to start evacuations. We'll leave Meico in charge of the base camp."

"Arrick says that he has enough personnel to tackle the satellite," Torie added. "I'll have him move into position now."

"Do it."

"Major." F'marrl unfurled her crest and looked at him sternly. "Will Captain Jaikira be going with us?"

"No, Jaikira is currently incapacitated. You will take field command of Artemis during the assault."

She clicked her beak disapprovingly. "Is that wise? When she awakens and finds you've left her behind-"

"That will be a matter between her and me, F'marrl," Sarigar snapped back. He took a deep breath and moderated his tone. "You know as well as I do that Kira's mentally and physically exhausted. I won't take her or any other officer into combat in that condition."

Giving him a long, unblinking stare, F'marrl finally said, "Then I will consider that a command decision, major." She saluted and disappeared into the caves.

"You'd better hope that Jaikira thinks that as well," Zeerod muttered under his breath, "but I'd do the same if I were in your place."

Sarigar didn't waste time agreeing with him. "Leave the computer here, Zeerod. I'll need to you to pilot the shuttle. Lt. Morraine," he said sharply to the Hecate officer, "I want you maintain contact between the attack groups. Timing will be critical. Can you do it?"

The grey-skinned woman nodded eagerly, anxious to be useful in spite of her injuries. "Yes, sir!"

"Zeerod, make sure she has everything she needs." Sarigar turned to find Meico entering the makeshift sick bay. "Has Torie filled you in?" he asked the pink-skinned medic.

"Indeed he has," Meico replied blandly. "Preparations for evacuations immediately I will begin. To Zora Ree, I have spoken." He lowered his voice. "Orders for Captain Jaikira do you have? In a few hours her sedation will wear off."

"Have her assist you in the evacuation," Sarigar said curtly. "On no terms is she to follow us up to the gun embankments. She stays here, that's an order."

Meico raised his eyelids skeptically but merely replied, "Your orders I will convey, major. Good hunting."

* * * * *

She had this dream before. It was the night before they'd left Greelbase and she was wrapped up in his arms. They had ended up in her quarters after a lovely evening out, tangled together beneath the sheets. So warm, so deliciously warm - she wanted to bask in his coils forever. He was being unusually affectionate so she knew she'd passed another test in their courtship, not that they ever intentionally set challenges for each other.

"So," she said softly, "wasn't it convenient that the university would send your sister to present the findings on Warworld?"

"Quite ironic," he answered smugly, kissing the top of her head. "She likes you, I can tell."

"Gar," she said reproachfully, "what are you up to?"

"Me? I'm not up to anything." He lifted the sheet and peeked under, flicking his eyes back to hers in a show of dry wit. "You took care of that, darling."

She sighed dramatically, but inwardly she knew he was plotting some grand romantic gesture. Smiling, she set her head against his chest and let his heartbeat lull her to sleep.

Sharp footsteps in the corridor finally pierced the dull fog that filled her head. Jaikira groaned and fought her way out of the pile of furs and blankets that surrounded her. Her elbow hit something in the pile that grunted in pain. A disgruntled green face surfaced.

"What a mess," Jez grumbled, her synthbox whining slightly. "I told Sanna that they could pile the dry furs in here, not to bury us in them."

"When did that happen?" Jaikira looked around. "Where's Gar?"

"Don't know," her aide answered truthfully. "F'marrl and the geek squad had some data to show him. He had me take his spot."

"Why wasn't I in on that?" Jaikira muttered indignantly. "How long have I been out?" She began the arduous task of freeing herself from their furry nest. A flash of red caught her eye and she froze, staring at the intricately carved bracelet on her left wrist. The clear red stone was offset in antique gold, awaiting the finishing touch of the wedding band to complete the setting. The inscription was in the old form, sinuous pictographs recording Sarigar's family lineage and praising their achievements. The meticulous craftsmanship and the sheer age of it took her breath away.

"Why would he leave this?" she asked herself in a small voice. In the same instance, her eyes widened with realization and she snapped out, "Where's the major?"

Nomad's pink-skinned medic stuck his head out of the sick bay. "Captain Jaikira?" Meico called out. "Awake at last, you are? Feeling better, you are?"

"Meico, where is he?"

"Major Sarigar?" Meico took out his scanner and began to run it over her. "Orders for you he left, captain. Just a moment, please, your condition I must check." He sat her down firmly on the top of a crate and checked his readings. "Most insistent Zora Ree was that this should be done."

Irritably, Jaikira forced herself to sit still while Meico examined her. She glanced around the room and noted that most of the wounded had been moved out. Fresh-looking storage crates dotted the room. A crude desk had been constructed for Lt. Morraine who was sitting up at a field computer and listening intently to a comset on her head. She flicked her eyes back to Meico.

"We're evacuating, aren't we?"

"Overseeing evac I am," Meico answered. "The first shuttleload to the Piecemaker being loaded it is. Your orders from the major are to assist me in this endeavor."

"Where is he?" Jaikira ground out. "Don't make me ask again."

"If you mean Major Sarigar," Morraine said helpfully, "he's downrange at the gun embankment."

"What?" Jaikira batted away three of Meico's hands and went across the room. "Why'd he leave without me?"

"I'm not sure," Morraine answered slowly, "but you were unconscious when the assault teams left." She paused and lifted a hand to her earpiece, listening intently. "I copy that, Nomad. Piecemaker confirms that Lt. Arrick's section has taken over the satellite. They're setting demolition charges now."

"The extra evac shuttles," Meico interrupted, "Left the ship, have they?"

Morraine relayed his request and shook her head. "Not yet. One of the other guns took at a pot shot at the Piecemaker. They're moving out of range until the assault teams take out the ground placements."

Jaikira came around so she could look at the monitor. "What's Nomad's status?"

"They're spearheading the attack here on the summit," Morraine said, pointing to the screen. "F'marrl and Canno are flanking them with Artemis and Hecate."

"What's this?" Jaikira asked, tapping a cluster of lights coming in from the east.

"I don't know." Morraine frowned and tapped in a set of commands. A separate window dropped down with a high altitude scan. "That's not one of ours -- the trajectory suggests an incoming party from one of the other gun placements."

"Hail the assault force," Jaikira snapped out. "Give 'em the heads up."

"Base to Nomad, base to Nomad, come in?" Morraine listened for a minute and then repeated. She shook her head. "I'm getting static, captain. They're not receiving. I'm starting to pick up active photonic emissions." Her hands flew over the keyboard. "I think they must be charging the gun."

"Meico, how many able-bodied Legionnaires are still here in camp?"

"Captain, your orders clear they were," Meico began warningly, "Most specific Major Sarigar was." He gave her a stern look, turning his bulbous eyes into foreboding slits.

"Not many," Morraine answered, unaware of Jaikira's personal situation. "They took two full squads. We've got mostly walking wounded and sentries here. If we're lucky, we might scrape together a section, but not enough for a full squad."

"Right." Jaikira turned on her tail and headed out into the corridor. "Jez! Sanna! Commandeer that shuttle and scramble a team to go with me. We need ordinance, armor, anything you can scrounge."

"Captain!" Meico hurried after her, raising his voice more forcefully. "Our orders we have! Disobey them you must not!"

"Things change," Jaikira said grimly as she picked up a plasma rifle and did a fast systems check. "I'll be damned if I let my fiancé get killed before he has a chance to propose to me."

* * * * *

"Major!" Torie's voice crackled over the comunit. "There's an increase of enemy activity on the southern rim of the facility!"

"Hostile?" Sarigar snapped out as he fired a volley of shots into a crowd of oncoming Harkilons. They had caught the gun embankments unaware at dawn but the Harkilons were proving to be more numerous than they had anticipated.

"There's warriors providing cover fire but I'm guessing that the core group is primarily technicians and scientists. They appear to be trying to get into that bunker at the foot of the photon accelerator."

"Have you set your demolition charges?"

"Grimrod and the Iks are setting the last of them now," Torie replied. "Give us ten microns to clear the area and we can blow the supports on this side."

"You have five, captain." Sarigar ducked back down behind the shattered wall that they were using for cover and glanced at Zeerod. "Anything from Artemis and Hecate?"

"F'marrl's team planted their charges and has gone up to reinforce Hecate. Sgt. Buruke ran into some opposition in what appears to be a supply depot." Zeerod frowned as he fiddled with the device in his hand. "Major, I've lost contact with the camp -- some sort of atmospheric disturbance perhaps. Odd -- I'll try to boost the signal."

"Belay that." Sarigar grimaced as he lay down a spray of cover fire for his demolition team. "They may be trying to power the gun up again. We need to blow this thing now!"

Taking up a hel-gun in both hands, Zeerod joined him. "Right, major!! C'mon, lads," he bellowed at the other Legionnaires nearby. "Let's show these cold-hearted bastards what we're made of!"

"Major!!" F'marrl's high, fluting voice pierced through the static on the comunits. "We have a visual on Hark gunships coming from the east! Repeat, enemy is airborne!"

"Damn!" Sarigar swore under his breath. "Demolition squads, we need to blow the supports now! Report!"

"We're set here," Torie called in. "Pulling the troops back now!"

"Visual on Hark gunships here," Canno Buruke barked out, his words punctuated with rapid pulse bursts. "They'll be within long distance firing range within two microns."

F'marrl burst in. "We're pinned down in the northeast quadrant. The energy readings are rising. Major, set off the charges! We'll take our chances!"

"Not if I can help it," Jaikira's voice came over the comlink. "Jez, intercept course. Sanna, aft guns! Artemis two, get ready!"

Soaring down from a high-altitude flight path, a Legion shuttle slingshot around the area of engagement, strafing the enemy that was keeping Artemis and Hecate pinned down. It pivoted on a wingtip for a second attack and shot away to the east at breakneck speed.

"Kira..." Sarigar muttered under his breath. "She must have woken up before Meico could get her on the transport." He shook off his irritation and raised his voice. "F'marrl! Get your people clear! Detonation in one micron from now... mark!"

A series of explosions over the eastern horizon caught their attention. Zeerod whistled through his teeth as he checked his long-range scanner. "Artemis one has engaged the enemy. They just took out two of the Harkilon's lead ships."

Sarigar forced himself to concentrate on the task at hand, his eyes firmly on his chronounit. He couldn't afford to divert any of his attention from the mission, not even out of love for Jaikira.

"All clear, major!" F'marrl called. "We've pulled back with Hecate!"

"All teams, detonate!" Sarigar snapped. "Blow it now!"

For a few sectons, the ice-covered mountainside became an inferno of light and heat and sound. Snow and smoke swirled around them, obscuring their vision but not Zeerod's cybernetic eye. "Like rats leaving a sinking ship!" the old warrior crowed, drawing his weapon and firing into the mists. "Harks coming at us, major!"

"Legionnaires, form up! Let's clean up this mess so we can get off this planet!" Sarigar stood up shoulder-to-shoulder with Zeerod and fired with him until he could see the Harkilons for himself. "Contact the Prometheus," he ordered, "and tell them it's safe to destroy the other gun sites from orbit."

"Right you are, major!"

"Artemis one to Artemis two," Jaikira called over the open com-line. "Status?"

F'marrl answered less than a secton later. "All accounted for, captain. Standing by."

"We've got four --" There was a thudding boom over the comunit. "--Make that three Harkie gunships on our tail. Can you give them a warm reception?"

Canno Buruke came on the line. "Hecate here," he said briskly. "I liberated some plasma mortars out of the supply dump. Run 'em back this way, captain, and we'll take care of it."

"Get ready," Jaikira said urgently, "because we'll be there in two. Jez! Evasive maneuvers!" Her voice rose in a frantic crescendo accented by the high-pitched whine of an engine under stress.

"Bloody hell!" Zeerod swore as he stood at Sarigar's side. His cybernetic eye whirred as it focused in on the fight overhead. "I sometimes wonder if all Thracians are inherently reckless. Just look at the way Shivblade is piloting that ship!"

"I'll take your word for it," Sarigar said gruffly as he mowed down a number of Harks coming out of the blast field. "Montroc, status?"

"Southern perimeter secured, sir. We have some Harkilon technicians in custody."

"Take the prisoners to the shuttle with a security detail," Sarigar ordered, "and send the rest out in three man sweeps to take out any pockets of resistance. I'll want to evac out of here as soon as the site's secure." A boom from above caught his attention and he looked without thinking. As nimbly as a goshawk, Jez Shivblade was threading their shuttle through the explosions and leading the Harkilon gunships hot on their tail directly into the mortar barrage. One enemy ship was spiraling away, leaving a dark smoke trail from its port engines.

"Artemis one!" F'marrl called out. "Crossfire on your right!"

The avian officer was correct - the Harkilons had decided to make the best of a hopeless situation and were trying to trap Jaikira's ship between them. Jez was using all her tricks to evade them but the enemy was gaining on them.

"Tonk!" Sarigar barked out. "Are those Hark gunships in firing range of your cannon?"

"I god it, major!" Tonk exclaimed in his guttural voice and put action to words as he fired his light cannon at one of the Harks ships as it swooped low beneath the Legion shuttle. The massive gun took out the starboard nacelle and sent it crashing into the mountainside. The remaining ship turned tail and ran, heading skyward.

"Piecemaker, you've got a Harkilon gunship coming your way," Sarigar called. "Don't let it get away!"

"Lt. Arrick's shuttle is moving to intercept it now, sir!"

Sarigar took a deep breath as he watched Jaikira's shuttle circling the battle zone. "Artemis one," he began sternly, "you will return to base camp and begin evacuating as originally ordered. We will mop up here and wait for retrieval."

"Major!" Zeerod chided softly, shaking his head disapprovingly at Sarigar's behavior.

"Jaikira?" Sarigar continued in a softer tone. "We'll talk about this later. You help Meico pack up and I'll see you on the ship."

A heavy sigh came over the comunit. "Very well, major. Jaikira out." The shuttle swung back to the east and headed back the way they had come.

"I know she meant well," he said without looking at Zeerod, "but damn it, her instincts make her too reckless. I can't have her distracting me like that!"

"Well, ordinarily Artemis and Nomad wouldn't be in combat together," Zeerod observed. "There was nothing you could do about this situation, sir, but I think her intentions were admirable. If she hadn't been airborne, Artemis and Hecate would have been mowed down."

"Maybe," Sarigar replied, "but there is something I can do to keep it from happening again."

* * * * *

With a face black as thunder, Sarigar stormed through the corridors of the ship, flicking his tail irritably. Jaikira had gone in with the first evac shuttle, beating him to the Piecemaker but fortunately she couldn't evade medical protocol. The computer located her in the communal showers just outside sick bay where the members of the shipwrecked squads were finishing up their decontam procedures. He passed by some of the towel clad legionnaires from Artemis, barely noting their startled looks.

F'marrl was just outside the showers, ticking names off her compupad as people filed by her. Her feathered crest rose alarmingly as he approached. "Major!" she called. "It will be just a few microns yet, sir, if you're looking for Jaikira. She was the last in and she's not quite finished yet."

"Good," he answered curtly and brushed by her.

"Major! You can't go--"

Clouds of steam billowed around him as Sarigar slipped and slid on the damp tiles. He paused for a moment to slow down and to center himself. He had been absolutely livid with the risks Jaikira had taken and her audacity to ignore his orders when all he had wanted was to insure her safety. The long shuttle ride back to the ship had done nothing to improve his temper. He cast his eyes around discreetly to find and locate her but typically it was her voice that led him to her.

She was near the back of the room, crooning softly as she often did while bathing, with her eyes closed and her head tilted back in the spray to rinse her hair. It was evident that she'd lost weight by the sharp definition of her rib cage and the sunken shadows of her torso as she stretched back -- too much, in Sarigar's estimation. Jaikira had always had a toned, athletic body and now she was almost too thin. He frowned sternly at the distraction and reminded himself to stick to his original purpose.

"Captain Jaikira."

Jaikira ran her hands over her face before opening her eyes. "Major Sarigar," she responded, returning his frown crossly. "This is supposed to be a females only shower. What the hell are you doing in here?"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't put you on report," he began. "I just finished speaking with Meico. You deliberately defied my orders and commandeered that shuttle when you should have been evacuating the wounded to the Piecemaker. What were you thinking?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, covering her breasts. "Command decision. Morraine spotted those gunships on long range scans and we couldn't raise you on the comlink. There was no way to contact you. We had to act." Sticking out her chin defiantly, she continued. "Besides, you deliberately left me behind!"

"Protocol, captain."

"Ram that, major! Protocol had nothing to do with it and you know it!" Jaikira said hotly. "You could have been killed! If I hadn't backed you up with air support, there's no telling what could have happened."

"If I hadn't had you sedated, you wouldn't have recovered your strength to even do that." Sarigar's nostrils flared. "I couldn't take you into battle, Kira, not in that condition!"

"What did it matter? You were pinned down and outgunned!" Her mouth twisted. "Damn it, Gar, I could have lost you!"

"And I could have lost you!"

They stood there motionless for a few moments, just glaring at each other. Sarigar knew that rules said he had to put her on report for disobeying orders, insubordination, and any of a number of violations. His heart was torn between being proud at her daring to come to his aid and furious that she'd defied him to put herself in danger. The old fire was back in her eyes and in spite of everything, he couldn't help loving her.

"Oh, why do I bother arguing with you? I suppose you want this thing back now." Jaikira sighed bitterly as she fumbled with the clasp of the bracelet she was still wearing. "Let's face it, Gar. I'm nothing but trouble." His hand covered hers and she looked up, startled to see him standing in the shower with her.

"Trouble doesn't scare me," Sarigar replied, "but living without you does. I hated leaving you at the base camp because I had to do it. I needed to know that you were safe." He turned her hand over. "When I learned the Prometheus was missing, I thought I'd never get to put this betrothal bracelet on your wrist."

Biting her lip, Jaikira observed, "Gar, do you know how ridiculous this looks? You're still wearing your armor and all I've got on is this bracelet." The corners of her mouth quirked up.

"Which has been worn ten generations of brides in my family," Sarigar continued, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings. "Say you'll marry me, Kira. Be my bride." He blew a wet strand of hair out of his face and began to smile ruefully at her. "Only you could make me do something like this."

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be up for early retirement in five more cycles and for the first time, I've been thinking about a life beyond the Legion." He folded her hands against his chestplate. "Share that life with me, Kira. Marry me."

Jaikira reached out and popped the side closures on his chest plate. "This has definitely got to go," she said softly.

"Why?" he asked while unconsciously aiding her in her task by pulling his armor off and tossing it out in the aisle between the showers with a clatter. She answered him by seizing his face in her hands and pulling him to her for a kiss. Her body was warm and wet and well worth gathering into his arms.

"I won't promise to obey you," she murmured with a hint of a smile as she unbuckled his weapons belt. "But I'll back you up in any firefight."

"And I will always come to your rescue," he answered. Her hands were tugging at the fasteners on the back of his skinsuit. "Is this a yes?" He undid his gauntlets and tossed them aside with his elbow pads.

"You know very well if I answer, we have to stay celibate until the wedding," Jaikira said mischievously as she helped him remove his skinsuit and wound her coils around him. "Gar, I really, really need this more right now." She writhed against him sensuously, leaving no doubt as to her intentions.

"Yes," he said simply, understanding her need to reaffirm her own mortality in spontaneous passion. It was an urge that he was feeling strongly himself and it superseded any other trivial concerns. "This is insane," he murmured into her mouth. "We should go to my quarters."

"Maybe later," she whispered back, "after I've given you my answer."

**_To be continued in Part XVI: "The Wedding"_**


	16. The Wedding, Part 1

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts.

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2003 to Christi Smith Hayden

**_XVI. The Wedding, Part 1:_**

****

After their spontaneous passion in the sickbay showers, Sarigar and Jaikira had wound up in his quarters. They had spent the night entwined in his narrow bunk as they made plans for their upcoming nuptials and that was how Sarigar found himself as the comunit forced him awake.

"Sarigar here," he said curtly as he rolled over and switched it on. "Report?"

"Sorry to disturb you, major," Zeerod said softly, "but you have a private communiqué from General Gokk. Would you like to take the call down there? We've made good time at warp and are into the space lanes where the communication channels are clearer."

"Yes, that will be fine. Thank you, Zee." Sarigar ran a hand over the top of his head and did a quick wardrobe check. He had gone to sleep in an undershirt and pants after Jaikira had complained of being cold and stolen most of the blankets. Jaikira herself was wearing the silk chemise he'd given her on Ryssa; the only personal effect she had, he was flattered to learn, because she habitually carried it folded in a sealed packet inside her chest plate. "Anything else I need to know about?"

"Meico and Zora have their hands full in sickbay. Some of more cold-blooded members of Artemis and Hecate have come down with delayed exposure reactions. They plan to schedule full physicals for everyone that came up from the planet."

"That's probably wise."

"Major?" Zeerod asked contritely. "Not to pry, but breakfast for one or two?" He was making a deliberate effort not to look past Sarigar to the rumpled blankets behind him.

"Two," Sarigar said ironically. "I'm assuming that the gossip in the barracks has been flying fast and furious."

"Well," Zeerod scratched his beard thoughtfully, "shower tile is so very acoustic, major, and Captain Jaikira does have an impressive vocal range. One did not need to be standing outside the door to know what was going on, so to speak." He coughed discreetly. "But enough said on that. The general was most insistent on speaking to you."

"Very well, put him on."

General Gokk's broad bear-like face filled the monitor screen. "Sarigar!" he bellowed. "We've been trying to reach you ever since we received your reports over subspace bounce. Well done on the rescue and on destroying that particle beam gun."

"Thank you, sir."

"How's Jaikira? Is she all right?"

Sarigar smiled. "She's fine -- nothing that a little R&R wouldn't cure."

"K'thok's out pacing in the hallway," General Gokk commented wryly. "He's read Jakira's report and he's been trying to contact her. I don't suppose you know where she is? She doesn't seem to have any assigned quarters."

Before his old friend had finished speaking, Sarigar started to smile. He had felt Jaikira stirring in bed behind him and slipping her arm around his waist beneath the blankets. "Oh, I think I know where she can be reached." He lowered himself on one elbow as Jaikira rose up to peep over his shoulder.

"Hello, Trillian," she said as she yawned and raked her fingers through her hair. The new shorter layers had dried into an unruly rat's nest of tangled curls but she did her best to smooth them out. She propped her cheek against Sarigar's shoulder and pulled the blankets up under her chin. "Did he tell you?"

"Tell me what? Just a moment--" Gokk leaned back and called out, "K'thok! She's with Sarigar. Get in here!" He looked back into the monitor and eyed Sarigar knowingly. "There's an ugly rumor floating around about you, old snake. Something about a clandestine tryst in the showers, hmm?"

Ignoring Jaikira's sleepy giggles, Sarigar merely snorted. "Gossip travels fast these days," he said dryly. "It can't be helped though." He pulled Jaikira's hand out of the blankets to show off her betrothal bracelet. "I asked and she said yes. How do you feel about being the best man at our wedding?"

"Me?" Gokk beamed, his massive smile revealing a glittering array of teeth. "Why, I'd be delighted! K'thok, did you hear?"

The thin, bristle-haired head of Defense Intelligence bobbed his head solemnly in a brief bow. "Congratulations, major and congratulations to you too, Captain Jaikira." He turned his vivid blue eyes on his field operative. "Are you feeling all right?" he asked solicitously. "You don't seem quite like yourself."

Turning his head, Sarigar's lips brushed her forehead and he realized that K'thok was right -- Jaikira felt much too warm. "You're a bit feverish, darling," he murmured.

"It's nothing, Gar. Don't worry about it." she answered and turned her attention back to General K'thok. "Major Sarigar told me that civil war broke out while we were away. What happened?"

While the two D.I. officers caught up, Sarigar rolled out of bed and retrieved his personal medkit from his pack. He knew she was sick when she didn't protest as he took a quick scan. He frowned at the readings.

"Major?" K'thok asked, sounding like a worried parent. "What it is? Is she all right?"

"Her temperature's higher than I like. This morning's status report had a number of the shipwrecked personnel in sickbay." He stood up and went to the door, pulling on his uniform jacket on the way. "I'll let you talk privately to K'thok while I fetch Zora."

As luck would have it, he encountered Zeerod and Zora just outside the mess hall. His kangaroo-like aide was carrying a tray of food and chatting animatedly with Artemis' felinoid medic. Zeerod looked up at his approach and called out, "Major! I was just on my way to your quarters."

Sarigar nodded. "Actually, I was coming to get Zora. Kira's not feeling well."

"Prrt?" Zora Ree twitched her ears up. "What is wrrrong?"

"I'm not sure," Sarigar replied. "She felt feverish so I took a quick scan." He handed his medkit to her. "I'm no medic but these readings don't look good to me."

Zora tsked and shook her head. "Just like the otherrrs -- it's a combination of post-trrraumatic strrress and exposurrre. Wherrre is she?"

"I left her in our quarters talking to General K'thok," Sarigar replied. He caught Zeerod's bemused look and raised a brow ridge at him. "What?"

"Nothing, sir," Zeerod said lightly. "I'm just making a mental note to knock while your lady is in residence."

"See that you do." Sarigar gestured down the corridor. "This way, Zora." He attempted to take the tray from Zeerod but once his curiosity was up, not even a hel-bomb could tear the old warrior away.

They arrived in time to hear K'thok signing off. Jaikira had coiled herself up into a ball under the covers with only the top of her head showing. Zora immediately sat down on the edge of the bed and took out her more sophisticated medical scanner. "Come now, kitling," she said coaxingly. "Let me have a look at you." She pulled the blanket off Jaikira's head and brushed the curls back from her face while she scanned. "Yes, you have it too. Feverrr with chills, achiness, perrrhaps a headache?"

"Yes," Jaikira admitted reluctantly. "What is it?"

"Just a delayed rrreaction to ourrr orrrdeal, kitling, nothing that a day orrr two of bedrrrest wouldn't currre. I'll just give you an analgesic now to make you morrre comforrrtable." Zora administered a hypospray shot and then looked up at Sarigar. "We've had a number of people opt forrr sleep chamberrrs so therrre's some extrrra beds available if you'd like to me to move herrr out of yourrr quarrrterrrs."

"No, that won't be necessary," Sarigar answered. "I don't mind."

Jaikira managed a tired smirk. "For better and worse, eh?"

"Really?" Zeerod's ears perked up from the doorway. "You asked?"

Sarigar smiled smugly over the rim of his cup. "I did." He felt both pleased and proud as Zora admired the betrothal bracelet on Jaikira's wrist.

"This would explain that rather resounding 'Yes!' that echoed down the corridors yesterday," Zeerod quipped. "Congratulations!"

"Zeerod?" Jaikira asked almost timidly. "Could I ask a favor?"

He glanced at Zora who flexed her whiskers in curiosity. "But of course, captain," he replied smoothly. "How may I be of service?"

Jaikira smiled wanly. "My father disowned me when I joined the Legion," she said softly, "but I really should have someone to give me away at my wedding. I was wondering if you'd like the job?"

"Me?" Zeerod blinked, momentarily speechless. "But surely there must be someone more appropriate..."

"Well, I asked K'thok but he declined." She tilted her head to one side, looking at him from beneath her lashes. "So will you, please? I can't go down the aisle by myself."

"Oh, you mustn't, kitling!" Zora was bright-eyed as she nodded encouragingly at him. "It is trrradition, yes?"

Zeerod bowed and held his hand to his chest dramatically. "My dear lady, it would be an honor to escort you to the major's side at your wedding."

"That's the male side of the roster filled," Sarigar commented. "How are you going to pick your attendant, darling? Round robin eliminations in the gym?"

"Ha-ha, very funny." Jaikira made a face at him. "First, I'm going to send a subspace to my sister Jaityra at the Conservatory." She glanced apologetically at Zora. "We promised each other when we were just girls that we would be each other's attendant at our weddings. If she can't make it, then I'll pick someone from Artemis. Do you think everyone will be agreeable with that?"

"It is yourrr wedding, captain," Zora purred. "Whateverrr you and yourrr mate-to-be choose will be perrrfect." She tucked the covers around Jaikira and stood up. "When you arrre well again, the squad will want all the details but forrr now, you arrre to do nothing but rrrest." She shook a finger at Sarigar in passing. "That's an orderrr, majorrr. I'll be back to check on herrr laterrr."

"Yes, ma'am," Sarigar said, snapping out a salute. He waited until the door was shut before coming over and handing Jaikira her tea. "You do realize that we've just told the two biggest gossips on the ship that we're getting married?"

"Yes," Jaikira replied as she sipped her tea. "Convenient, isn't it?"

* * * * *

By the time the Piecemaker arrived at Greelbase, the wedding plans were well underway. Jaityra, Jaikira's younger sister, took some time to locate as she was on tour with a concert group from the Conservatory where she studied music. Fortunately, the tour was winding down and a date was set. Sarivil was delighted with the news and promptly made plans to return with the promised family heirlooms. Neither Jaikira nor Sarigar wanted a big wedding - just a quiet ceremony with family and friends before disappearing for a week of well-deserved leave. The best-laid plans, however, have a habit of changing unexpectedly.

Sarigar smiled indulgently as Jaikira double-checked the shuttle flights. Ever since her sister had sent word that she was on her way, Jaikira had been besides herself with nervous energy. His own sister, Sarivil wasn't due to arrive until the day before the wedding but if she didn't, he wasn't worried. The betrothal bracelet would serve for the formalities. All he wanted was for all the wedding activities to be over so he could be alone with his soon-to-be wife.

Finally, Jaikira tore herself away from the flight schedules. "Everything all right?" he asked casually.

"Seems to be," she answered, slipping her arm around his and leaning her head against his shoulder. "Only two more days and this will all be over."

He sighed with her and lightly nuzzled her forehead. Since they were observing the traditional period of abstinence before their nuptials, both Jaikira and Sarigar couldn't keep from making little affectionate gestures towards each other and frequently did them without thinking. "At least Gokk had the good sense to send Nomad out on patrol. I really needed the distraction."

"Don't get me started on that," Jaikira said crossly. "I was beginning to wonder if you were coming back."

"What, and leave you standing at the altar?" Sarigar quipped. "You'd hunt me down and skin me."

Her eyes danced as she glared at him in mock fury. "You got that right, major!"

They were crossing the courtyard in front of the shuttle port when a shouted voice caught their attention. "Kira!!" A tall Jentekian male waved at her from across the quad. He was casually dressed with a duffel bag slung over his back and an aquaball tucked under his left arm. "Hey, Jaikira! Over here!"

"Friend of yours?" Sarigar inquired but Jaikira was already in motion. As he watched, his fiancée dashed across to meet the newcomer who met her halfway across and swung her up into the air with a vigorous hug. To his astonishment, Jaikira not only tolerated this behavior, but she also reciprocated by throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly.

Laughing, Jaikira led the stranger over. "Gar, I want you to meet my cousin Kaavon. Von, this is my fiancé, Major Sarigar." She smiled indulgently at her cousin.

"Ah." Sarigar held out his hand. "You would be the other black sheep in the family that I've heard about." He nodded towards the ball under Kaavon's arm. "Kira's told me that you play professionally."

"That's me, all right!" Kaavon said cheerfully. He was leaner than Sarigar but he moved with an athletic grace. His bold facial markings made him seem as if he were wearing a wraparound mask and years of exposure to pool water had given his hair blond highlights. "So you're the guy that finally snared our wild child? I've heard about you."

"Really?" Jaikira asked curiously. "From who?"

"Your little sis, who else?" Kaavon grinned. "I ran into her on Jentek station and she told me that you were getting married. She was heading planetside to pick something up and I was leaving to play in a tournament. I had some time to spare so I thought I'd detour through here and say congrats in person."

"Is Tyra with you?"

"No, she's probably a day or so behind me," Kaavon answered. "I'm supposed to tell you that she's gone to get 'it' and she'll be bringing 'it' with her, whatever that means." He passed the ball from hand to hand and eyed Jaikira suspiciously. "Are you two girls pulling a fast one or what?"

"Something like that."

Both males looked at Jaikira and then at each other. Kaavon shook his head slowly. "You are in such trouble."

"I'm getting used to it." Sarigar merely shrugged. "My men are giving me a bachelor party tonight. You're welcome to come, if you like."

"I don't drink anymore, but I still like a good party." Kaavon lifted the strap of his duffel bag with his thumb. "I've got to check-in at the visitor's hostel first, if that's all right."

"I'll come by the hostel and get you this evening." Sarigar leaned over and kissed Jaikira chastely. "I've got a staff meeting, darling. I'll talk to you later."

"All right." Jaikira smiled and gazed after him fondly. She turned back to her cousin and scowled at his amused expression. "What?"

"You like him!"

"Of course, I'm marrying him." She twitched her tail irritably. "Honestly, Von!"

Her cousin laughed at her. "It's just I remember what a heartbreaker you were. How many betrothal proposals did you go through anyway, four or five?"

"I've grown up then, Von," Jaikira said taking his arm and leading the way out of the quad. "I've got a good life in the Legion and a good man to share it with -- what's wrong with that?"

"Absolutely nothing, Kira," Kaavon answered. "I'm happy for you. You can't blame me for being curious about the guy that finally tamed you."

Jaikira smirked. "Who said he tamed me?"

* * * * *

Having played professional sports for many years, Kaavon had seen it all -- formal receptions, celebratory bacchanals, and conciliatory benders. When Sarigar and his second-in-command, a humanoid named Torie Montroc, picked him up at the visitor's hostel, Kaavon was prepared for anything by the time they arrived at the officers' club but a Legion party, as he was soon to discover, was something entirely different.

"Incoming!" bellowed the small creature at the door. Kaavon blinked as the call was taken up by its exact duplicate, identical to the first being with long curved claws, tapered snout, and hairy scaled plating, and then a third.

"Major on deck!"

"Atten-shun!"

Kaavon nudged Torie. "It's too early to be seeing things, isn't it?"

"Those are the Iks," Torie said lightly. "Don't worry about trying to tell them apart. They share a group mind so it's not a big deal."

A booming voice cut through the crowd noise. "Old snake! It's about time you got here!" A furry wall loomed up in front of them and Kaavon inadvertently gaped as he looked up at the ursinoid with the cybernetic eye. "Who's this? A civilian?"

"This is Jaikira's cousin, Kaavon," Sarigar said smoothly as he made introductions. "This is my best man, General Trillian Gokk."

"An honor, sir," Kaavon replied, giving a Jentekian bow in lieu of a salute. He leaned towards Sarigar. "So were you going for rank or size when you picked him?"

"Both," Sarigar answered jovially, "but Trillian and I went through officer's training together. He's one of my oldest friends in the Legion."

"Hur-hur! The only reason I'm doing it is so I can kiss the bride!" Gokk rumbled. He gestured, narrowly missing the bulbous head of a four-armed Polaran. "Help yourself to the bar! The night's just started!"

Selecting an Aurelian carbowater, Kaavon cruised through the crowd of soldiers, amiably accepting the role of odd man out. He'd heard a lot about Sarigar from Jaikira earlier but he was interested in observing him for himself. Curiosity went both ways; before he knew it, Kaavon found himself engrossed in conversation with the acting father-of-the-bride.

"--Delighted to meet another member of the family," Zeerod said enthusiastically. "You must let me introduce you around." They made the rounds of the room until finally ending up in a group huddled around a green-skinned Thracian named Jugger Grimrod.

"So yer here fer th' weddin?'" Jugger commented. "A bit outta yer way, ain't it?"

"Not really," Kaavon shrugged. "I was heading out to compete in a tournament and had time to kill. Besides, when I heard Kira was getting married, I wanted to see the ballsy bospor that had to nerve to do it." His choice of words got the reaction he wanted.

"Hur-hur-hur! Ain't that th' truth?" Jugger waved Kaavon and Zeerod into his circle of acquaintances where they had been playing cards and drinking groghs. Jugger held out a draft. "Want one?"

"No thanks," Kaavon declined politely. He held up his drink. "I'm staying away from the booze. You guys can drink my share."

"Got any creds?" Jugger asked, holding up a compupad. "We'll let you chip in."

"Yeah?" Kaavon looked intrigued. "What's the bet?"

"Honeymoon pool," Jugger said, narrowing his eyes at Sarigar across the room. "The major an' his lady have a certain reputation, y'see, so th' bet is how long an' how often. They've only got a week's pass so that's th' time limit."

"Hmm...," Kaavon pursed his lips and stared into space thoughtfully. He reached into his jacket pocket and flipped out a couple of cred chips. "One hundred says that they make it to twelve hours and one hundred more says they make it to a full twenty-four or better. After that, they'll both be unconscious."

"No way," Jugger scoffed. "I mean, my money is on Sarigar all th' way, but really-"

Zeerod regarded Jaikira's cousin shrewdly. "I'd said he's got the inside track, lads. Come on now, give - what do you know that we don't?"

"I'm Jentekian, guys," Kaavon said with a good-natured shrug. "We have mating rituals that don't make it into the galactic standard textbooks." He glanced towards Sarigar, who was nursing a nutrient shake and talking with General Gokk. "See him? He's not touching the booze but that's the second protein drink I've seen him with."

"So?"

"I had lunch with Kira and my petite little cousin ate me under the table." He grinned. "Traditionally, the bride and groom tend to stoke up on their food reserves so that they have plenty of energy for the honeymoon. The longer your nuptial mating goes on, that's how many years you'll be married, or so they say."

"You know, Jugger," Zeerod said sagely, "I'm getting the feeling that you might want to stop the betting now before things get totally get out of hand."

"Naw, this will make it more interestin,'" Jugger said with a wicked laugh. "A lot more interestin.'"

"So, what was Jaikira like when she was younger?" Torie Montroc asked as he and Sarigar wandered over. "I'll bet you have all kinds of stories."

"Yeah," Kaavon drawled out, "but if I tell you, she'll throttle me." He laughed. "Kira used to be a real bookworm. We used to have to drag her out of her room to play. All she did was read and study and practice all day long."

"Really?" Sarigar raised his eyebrows. "What happened?"

"Her rebellious teenage years, of course." Pausing to take a sip of his drink, Kaavon continued. "We used to sneak out of the family compound and get into all kinds of trouble. Kira used to love to go to these spaceport dives because the music there was so unlike the formal stuff she was forced to practice all the time. Once she caused a riot because she'd entered a singing contest. She'd had a few drinks to settle her nerves, and thank Ayal she'd entered under another name, because when she got on stage, she had the crowd worked into a froth. If it wasn't for the fact I'd known her since she was a skinny little girl, I would have been drooling with the rest of them."

"Let me guess -- she called herself 'Naja?'"

"How'd you know?"

"Oh, I know Naja," Sarigar said with a smug smile, "intimately."

"A-ha! Then she's probably done the _Sssl' phahnla_ for you then."

Sarigar choked on his drink.

"No?" Kaavon chortled gleefully. "Boy, are you in for it!"

"The what?" Torie asked, grinning at his commander's obvious discomfort.

"It's an erotic Jentekian dance form," Kaavon said gleefully. "My aunt is very traditional. A girl isn't considered a well-rounded betrothal prospect if she doesn't know how to perform the _Sssl' phahnla_ for her mate." He chuckled darkly. "It was considered one of Jaikira's more desirable selling points, considering how many proposals she turned down."

"She's had others?" Sarigar asked, raising a brow ridge. "She's never mentioned it."

"I doubt that she would." Kaavon took a sip of his drink. "She never liked the whole betrothal concept. I was really surprised to see her wearing that bracelet today."

"She never takes it off," Zeerod observed.

"Really?" Kaavon smirked. "Well, well... little cuz is finally settling down." He raised his voice in an eerie imitation of Jaikira's and said, "'Von, I'd rather be dead than be shackled to some ignorant male with an iconoclastic, out-dated symbol of morality. It's demoralizing and demeaning!'" He laughed with everyone else. "Little miss opinionated - it was a relief when she went into the Legion because she and my aunt would argue every waking minute. Don't ever say Kira is like her mother," he told Sarigar, "not if you ever want to want to get back into her good graces again."

"Are they that much alike?"

"If you're lucky, you'll never find out."

* * * * *

"--and then that Thracian tried to proposition the dancing girl, she laid him out cold!" Kaavon grinned. "That's when Sarigar grabbed me by the collar and we went out the side exit just before the MPs came roaring up. I've been to some wild parties before but you Legionnaires really know how to push it to the edge."

Jaikira shook her head as she sat across from him at the small table. They had met for breakfast in the arrival lounge at the shuttle port. "Oh, dear. This explains why Nomad looked like the living dead when they came out of their barracks this morning. Thank Ayal they didn't decide to do the bachelor party the night before the wedding. Did Gar drink much?"

"Hardly anything, cuz," Kaavon answered. "Maybe a couple of groghs but that's all." He lowered his voice. "You'd think he was in training, hmm?"

"None of your business, Von," Jaikira said pertly. "What are your plans for the day?"

"I talked some guys into a pick-up game at your natatorium," he said good-naturedly. "Sarigar said he'd captain the other team so if he's as good as you say he is, it'd ought to be a decent match."

"That would explain why you've got your gear with you," Jaikira commented, noting the gym bag by her cousin's chair and the ball that he kept passing from hand-to-hand. "I'm beginning to think you sleep with that ball."

"You know me, always practicing." They both looked up as another shuttle arrival was announced. "Sarigar told me to keep an eye out for his sister. Her flight's due this morning."

"Don't you go making a pass at her," Jaikira warned him as she scanned the crowd coming through the arrival gate. "I know how you are."

Kaavon laughed. "No worries, cuz. I never fool around with girls whose brothers carry a hel-gun."

At that moment, Jaikira stood up and waved. "Sarivil! Over here!"

A tall Jentekian female waved back and made her way out of the crowd. She had the same facial marking as Sarigar and was very conservatively dressed in a skinsuit and tunic. "Jaikira!" she called out as she came closer. "Where's that brother of mine? He isn't making you do everything, is he?"

Jaikira laughed. "No, I'm letting him sleep in. His bachelor party was last night."

"And a fine time was had by all," Kaavon said brightly.

"This is my cousin, Kaavon," Jaikira said, making introductions. "My sister told him about the wedding and he decided to show up for it."

"I'm meeting Sarigar at the pool for an aquaball game in an hour or so. Would you like to go with me?" Kaavon offered. "Kira's got to wait for Jaityra to get in."

"Hmm..." Sarivil eyed Jaikira conspiratorially. "Legionnaires playing aquaball -- will the viewing be good? It's been a long time since I've had the leisure to ogle the odd male."

"I'd say your chances are pretty good," Jaikira commented, "but you shouldn't say things like that when Von's around. It goes straight to his head, poor dear."

"Really, cuz," Kaavon snorted. "I'm not as vain as that!" He winked at Sarivil.

Two hours later, Jaikira was starting to get anxious. The last two transports from the Auron system had disembarked without any sign of her sister. Sighing bitterly, Jaikira checked the shuttle schedule again. A private vessel from her home system was preparing to dock. She didn't believe in coincidence but at this point, anything was worth investigating.

Her comunit buzzed. "Captain?" Zora's voice purred. "I've just finished with the caterrrerrrs. Has yourrr sisterrr arrived yet?"

"No," Jaikira replied, "and it's beginning to look like you had the right idea when you insisted on having my dress uniform pressed and cleaned."

"Well, a formal militarrry wedding can be verrry dramatic," Zora said consolingly. "Everrryone in the squad has theirrr uniforrrms decked out according to rrregs. Shall I have yourrrs prrreparrred?"

"Let's wait on that," Jaikira said as she threaded through the crowd. "There's an unscheduled corsair arriving from Belgar II. It's a long shot, but she might have been able to wrangle a spot on board."

"As you wish, Captain. I'll see you laterrr."

Following the shuttle schedule, Jaikira found herself leaving the arrival gates for the commercial flights and heading towards the slip reserved for the higher military echelon and Sideruem Council members. She and Kaavon both preferred to travel in anonymity whenever possible but Jaityra could have easily exercised her high family privileges to travel faster.

The sleek corsair looked out of place amongst the more sturdily built shuttles as it took its place in the docking ring. Whoever was arriving had full diplomatic security so a passenger list was unavailable to the public. Jaikira swished her tail impatiently as she waited for the passengers to disembark. She didn't have to wait long until a younger Jentekian female appeared, looking around anxiously as she hooked the strap of her travel bag over her shoulder. She was dressed simply but elegantly in a sleeveless dress and her long hair was covered with an iridescent scarf.

"Tyra!!" Jaikira threw her arms open and hugged her younger sister. "You made it by the skin of your teeth! Did you bring it?"

"Y-yes," Jaityra answered slowly. Her forehead wrinkled in a pained expression. "Unfortunately, that's not all that came with me."

Jaikira looked past her to the airlock of the ship and her eyes widened in horror. "No... not you."

"Hello.... daughter."

****

**_To be continued in Chapter XVII: The Wedding, Part 2_**


	17. The Wedding, Part 2

**Alien Legion: Arrows of Artemis**

By C.S. Hayden

Alien Legion is the trademarked and copyrighted creative property of Carl Potts as published by Epic Comics/Marvel Entertainment 1984-1993. This is a work of fiction loosely based on the characters of Alien Legion and is unauthorized by its creator Carl Potts.

Plot and additional original characters copyrighted 2003 to Christi Smith Hayden

****

**_XVII. The Wedding, Part 2:_**

In one fell swoop, Jaikira felt she had been demoted from a Legion officer to a little girl being lectured in her mother's study. She had no choice but to accompany her mother and sister to the luxury suites reserved for visiting dignitaries and heads of state. Only the best would do for the Lady Kaathera, matriarch of the joint houses of Jai and Kaa. Anything less was for mere mortals.

"Do stop pacing," Kaathera said sharply. "You'll wear a hole in the rug, Kira."

"Why are you here, mother?" she snapped. "I thought I'd been disowned."

"Things change," Kaathera replied. She sat regally straight in her chair regarding her older daughter calmly. The years since Jaikira had left home to join the Legion had not changed her mother very much. Her face was more angular but still handsome with traces of a luminous beauty. "Your sister, no doubt, has kept you apprised of family matters?"

Jaikira stopped and frowned at the floor. "Yes," she said softly. "I was sorry to hear of Father's illness."

"Not sorry enough to give up this soldiering nonsense and return home, I see."

"Mother, I am an officer in Defense Intelligence. I'm responsible for the welfare of my squad." She glared across the room. "It is NOT nonsense and I am NOT at liberty to just up and run home whenever you beckon!"

"Please, Mummy, Kira," Jaityra said soothingly. "Let's not start that old argument again. You promised, Mummy - we're here to be part of Kira's wedding and that's all." She looked imploringly at them both. "Please?"

Mother and daughter glowered at each other and turned away with their arms crossed, unaware how very much alike they were. After a few moments of heavy silence, Jaityra tried to steer the conversation to less volatile subjects.

"Kira?" she asked cautiously. "Since you're here, perhaps you could try on Grandmother's wedding sari. I had it aired in the garden before we left and vacuum-packed it for the trip. It should still smell like night flowers."

Jaikira smiled. "Do they still grow under our old bedroom window?"

"Oh, yes." Jaityra got up and opened a suitcase. "I thought it might be a nice touch since there are no flowers on a military base and besides, it will make Sarigar anxious for the honeymoon." She winked at her sister. "Hmm?"

"Gar was ready for the honeymoon weeks ago," Jaikira laughed. "If it wasn't for Nomad having been sent out on a routine patrol so he could blow off some steam, he'd be climbing the walls by now."

"Actually, you did rather well for yourself," Kaathera said coolly. "Even though I have yet to interview him personally," she gave Jaikira a hard stare, "I had Sarigar's family lineage researched. His father was a decorated military officer before becoming a teacher, upper middle caste but of a line of well known scholars. His mother, however, was of a minor branch of the Nek high family. Any offspring you produce will be especially desirable."

"Really, mother, you're talking of your potential grandchildren as if they were puppies." Jaikira slashed her tail. "Gar and I are committed to our careers in the Legion for cycles yet."

"You must honor your commitments, of course." Kaathera shrugged minutely. "However, I note that Sarigar is the last male of his family line. He will want children long before you will, I wager."

The thought made Jaikira pause for a moment; she and Sarigar never really discussed it but her mother had a point. Children would complicate things tremendously in a Legion career. K'thok was less than enthused about her upcoming marriage as it was; it had turned out that his species had strong cultural bias on family and marriage that verged on archaic. He had already begun to push for F'marrl to take charge of Artemis squad and Jaikira could only assume he was preparing to phase her out of the command structure.

She sank down into a chair by the window and stared out, not really looking at anything.

"You see how it is then," Kaathera said, her voice softer than it had been previously. "Marriage is not all romance and daydreams. There are consequences, strange twists and turns that your life will take that you hadn't counted on. It is a challenge, my dear, which must be met headlong." She paused, and when Jaikira looked towards her, her mother was smiling. "I always pictured you on a stage, not Tyra and look what happened." She shook her head. "Then I realized your stage was just much, much bigger. Do you know that your father watches the tri-vids religiously now, just to hear the mention of your name?"

"Really?" Jaikira asked. "I thought he said he'd never acknowledge my existence."

"One of the few convenient things about his illness is that his memory comes and goes." Kaathera shrugged and rose smoothly from her chair. "He associates your name with a little girl that was forever climbing trees, not an officer in the Legion." She crossed the room to help Jaityra unpack a mass of silken garments from a bag. "It is a pity he can't be here for your wedding. Have you chosen someone appropriate to escort you?" She wrinkled her nose. "I understand your cousin Kaavon is here."

"Actually, I've chosen one of Nomad's most respected soldiers," Jaikira answered, grateful for a change of topic. "Zeerod was a brigadier general in the regulars before he joined the Legion. His service record is very distinguished."

Kaathera nodded approvingly. "That should do. The males are all wearing formal uniforms, I take it?"

"Dress greens all around," Jaikira said lightly. "Sarigar's going to have on all his medals." She laughed. "Hopefully, I won't get snagged on them. His combat stars are kind of pointy."

"It's a wedding, not an orgy," Kaathera said tartly. "See that he doesn't maul you."

"Yes indeed, Kira," Jaityra teased. "I want to have the use of Grandmother's sari after you."

"Have your arrangements all been made?" Kaathera pursed her lips as she checked off a mental list in her head. "Ceremony, priest, flowers, reception, catering..."

"All done, mother -- all we want is a simple Legion ceremony and a party afterwards." Jaikira smiled as she held up the filmy embroidered fabric. "Gar is going rattle his spikes when he sees me in this."

Behind her, Kaathera crossed her arms and regarded her daughter archly. "A simple Legion ceremony?' What do you mean -- that there will be no listings of your family ties? Your spouse will not pledge allegiance to our house?"

Giving her mother a baleful look, Jaikira retorted, "That is an antiquated custom, and you know it. Father disowned me formally so I can't list my titles so there's just no point in doing that. Gar and I have already discussed it with the Greelbase chaplain, and it's all been arranged."

"But surely you'll have music?" Jaityra asked plaintively. "A wedding isn't a wedding without it."

"We decided against it during the ceremony," Jaikira admitted, "but I talked a band from the civilian zone into playing the reception. They owe me a favor."

"Civilian zone?" Kaathera pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Then perhaps there is a place I could order some Jentekian delicacies from."

"The reception is fully catered, mother."

"My dear, you must allow us to do something for your wedding! Surely there must be some small task your sister and I can do for you."

"I know what I can do!" Jaityra chimed in. "I can sing at your reception."

"Oh, I'd love that, Tyra!" Jaikira studied her mother for a moment and turned away, chewing on a thumbnail pensively. "Let me think -- yes, there is something. I never arranged for a bouquet. It's not part of a military wedding so I hadn't given any thought to one."

"Done," Kaathera said, clapping her hands together. "At this late date, it will have to be simple but I think I can find something suitably elegant to go with your wedding sari."

Checking her gauntlet, Jaikira grimaced. "I've got to be getting back," she said contritely. "My squad is giving me a party in the barracks. Would you like to come?"

"I believe I'll stay here," Kaathera said archly as she settled back into her original chair. "That's doesn't sound like the sort of party the bride's mother should attend." She smiled at her younger daughter. "But you should definitely go, Tyra, and meet your sister's friends."

"Are you sure, Mummy?" Jaityra asked brightly as she helped her sister gather up the wedding sari and place it back in its bag. "I've always wanted to see how Kira's been living all these years."

"Quite sure," Kaathera said calmly. "I'll busy myself with Kira's flowers while you're gone."

"We'll stop by the visitor's hostel and pick up Sarivil," Jaikira said enthusiastically as she began to lead Jaityra to the door. "Goodbye, mother!"

"Goodbye, my dears."

The sounds of her daughters leaving the suite had hardly faded when Kaathera had accessed the hotel's computer system. She punched in a series of commands and narrowed her eyes at the information that scrolled by on the screen. "Taiba!!" she called out, summoning her personal assistant. "Come here - we have a lot to do before morning."

* * * * *

The bedside comunit chirped in the darkness. Sighing, Sarigar reached an arm out to answer it. "Sarigar here."

"You can't sleep either, hmm?"

He smiled at the sound of her voice and rolled over to face the small monitor. "No, I can't, darling. I'm just lying here, counting the hours until I can have you as my wife."

Jaikira tilted her head, making her curls tumble around her shoulders. "Don't say things like that. I'm anxious enough as it is." She laughed. "The party just broke up here. I've been given a whole inventory of new things to do to you. F'marrl compiled them onto a textpad with the title, 'Bedroom Combat Tactics.'"

"For a self-professed asexual being, she has quite an earthy sense of humor, doesn't she?" Sarigar grinned back at her. "Anything interesting?"

"Oh, you'll find out, major," Jaikira purred in her best Naja mode. "The chapter on 'Field Testing' has diagrams and an equipment list."

As intriguing as that prospect sounded, Sarigar opted to change the subject before he needed to take another cold shower. "Did your sister arrive? Sarivil said you were still waiting on her when she showed up with Kaavon at the pool."

"Well, the good news is that Jaityra is here. She came to the party with me and met everyone." Jaikira sighed deeply. "The bad news is that my mother decided to come with her."

"I thought your family disowned you."

"I was rather hoping that I still was!" She leaned a cheek against her hand. "I asked Jaityra to bring me something for the wedding and Mother caught her taking it from the vaults. Tyra had to tell her why and as result, my mother is here for the wedding." She winced. "I'm really, really sorry about this."

"Why?" Sarigar could see she was upset and wished he could hold her. "You're lucky. My parents died when Vil was just a child. I would've loved to have had them here for this. Kaavon mentioned that you and your mother didn't get along but this is different. A wedding is a special time. Your mother probably just wants to be a part of it."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Jaikira said ruefully. "Mother doesn't sit on the sidelines very well."

"Kira, everything's been arranged," he said consolingly. "What could she possibly do?"

"I don't know," she sighed petulantly. "Mother did bring up a couple of things I hadn't thought about."

"Like what?"

"She had your family line traced." Jaikira made a face. "She's thinking ahead to her potential grandchildren."

Sarigar's brows rose. "We've never talked about that."

"I know." She looked down at her hands for moment, clearly ordering her thoughts. "What do you think about children?"

"I'll admit that there have been times when I've considered it." He began to smile slowly. "My parents married late in life so they didn't wait very long to start a family."

"I don't think we should, not while both of us are in the Legion," she said abruptly. "K'thok has been pushing for F'marrl to take command of Artemis. I don't know if he's lost confidence in me after Helios or if he doesn't like the idea of me getting married. His species can be very parochial at times."

His heart fell. "Are you saying you don't want children?"

"No! It's just -" Jaikira's lip twisted. "I think that at least one of us should be out when we do have children. Our enlistment terms overlap so we're not going to muster out at the same time. One of us has to be there for that child, whenever that happens."

"For a micron there, you had me scared." Sarigar reached out and touched his fingertips to the screen. "I would love to have a child with you, Kira, but I can wait." He smiled. "Let's get married first."

Jaikira smiled back. "Then I'll see you in the morning."

* * * * *

The day of the wedding dawned with a flurry of activity. Leaving F'marrl in charge of Artemis, Zora Ree and Jez Shivblade accompanied Jaikira to the chapel to get ready. She'd already assigned someone to escort Kaathera and Jaityra to the ceremony and hoped sincerely that her mother would be on her best behavior.

_"Not bad,"_ Jez commented with a flourish of her fingers. _"Ol' hardass won't know what hit him!"_ She was helping adjust the drape of the floor length veil as Jaikira stood patiently in the center of the antechamber just outside the chapel.

"I agrrree," Zora purred approvingly. "I can now see why you werrre so anxious about yourrr sisterrr getting herrre in time. This is the perrrfect touch." A knock came at the door and Zora went to answer it. "Ah, some guests to see you, captain!"

Kaavon, dressed soberly in a deep midnight blue suit, escorted Sarivil into the room. She was wearing a wine-colored dress with gold piping and was holding an ornate wooden case in her hands. Her part in the ceremony was to present the wedding bands and Jaikira assumed that the case contained the formal set that matched her betrothal bracelet.

Raising a hand to her face, Sarivil gasped in surprise and smiled behind her fingers. "Oh, Kira! That's so lovely!"

"It was my grandmother's," Jaikira answered. "Gar's expecting me to come out in my dress uniform - what do you think?"

Kaavon chuckled and nudged Sarivil. "She's so evil, isn't she?"

Sarivil handed the case she'd been carrying to him and took a compact holo-camera out of a pocket. "I'm going to have so much fun with this," she proclaimed. "I'll take a shot of you now and then I'll have Torie get a shot of Gar's face when he sees you."

Posing demurely with her hands folded in a classic prayer pose, Jaikira couldn't help smiling when she thought of just how Sarigar would react when he saw her. He had shown her a picture of his parents in their wedding regalia and had been enthusiastically nostalgic on each intricate detail. As insistent as he was on having a no frills Legion wedding, she could tell the poet in him had been wishing for something more romantic.

"Perfect!" Sarivil exclaimed, breaking Jaikira from her reverie. "I'll need to retrieve your betrothal bracelet for the ceremony, Kira," she said as she took the case back from Kaavon.

"Hold the veil up for me, Von," Jaikira said as she unfastened the antique gold bracelet. "I haven't had this off since Gar put it on me weeks ago."

Kaavon laughed as he held the veil up out of the way so she could pass the bracelet to Sarivil. "So I've heard," he said. "It was one of the topics at the bachelor party."

"My, my, and I thought we were chatty at my bridal shower last night," Jaikira quipped tartly. "It was a shame you missed it, Vil."

"I know," Sarivil said as she exchanged a guilty look with Kaavon, "but I hadn't been invited out in a long time. It was very enjoyable." She placed the betrothal bracelet in the case with the rest of the matrimonial set. "I want to go see how Gar's doing before I have to take my place."

"All right." Jaikira grinned. "If he's nervous, I'll expect a full report later."

Sarivil smirked. "Oh, I will!"

Kaavon chuckled as he watched Sarivil leave the room. "Oh, fine -- why is it you females act so gleeful about us males and our discomfort at a time like this?"

"Vonnie," Jaikira drawled out threateningly, "what did you do? I saw that look she gave you."

"What?" Seeing that she wasn't buying the innocent act, Kaavon sighed dramatically and threw up his hands. "Hey, we got to talking on the way back to the hostel and I asked her to dinner, that's all. I took her back to her room and then I went back to mine. That's all that happened." He laughed. "Vil's nice but she's too much of a brainiac for me. We mostly gossiped about you and Gar - now that was entertaining!"

* * * * *

Knocking on the wall, Torie Montroc paused in the doorway. "The squad is leaving to go to the ceremony with Zeerod," he reported. "Is there anything I can do for you, major?" He watched as Nomad's medic finished administering a shot to Sarigar's shoulder. "What's that for?"

"Meico's just catching me up on my shots," Sarigar said calmly as he fastened his starched shirt. "I am going on my honeymoon later today, you know."

"A wise precaution it is," Meico said, crinkling his eyelids in amusement. "Taking your vitamins as well you should be, major."

"Definitely." Sarigar gave a small grin. "Apparently, one of Kira's shower gifts from her squad is a manual on bedroom combat. I may come back looking much worse for the wear."

Torie laughed. "You must be worried about what things the ladies of Artemis have in store for you."

"Actually, the only thing that I'm concerned about is meeting Kira's mother," Sarigar said calmly as he donned his dress jacket. "Apparently she turned up yesterday with Kira's sister."

"Her mother?" Meico asked in surprise. "So seldom of her parents Jaikira speaks. Deceased, I thought they were."

"No, they disowned her when she joined the Legion. Kira doesn't talk about it much." Sarigar finished fastening his jacket and adjusted one or two of his medals on the wide arrow headed band that ran down from the epaulets on his left shoulder to mid-chest. It contained his gold-pressed rank insignia at the point, a number of honor stripes, and a cluster of combat stars. "She's not entirely happy about her mother being here for some reason but I've told her not to worry."

"Nerves perhaps it is," Meico suggested sagely. "Never before a bride has she been."

The door to the outer corridor burst open. "There you are!" Trillian Gok called out jubilantly. "Not having second thoughts, are you?"

"You've been through this before," Sarigar retorted, "Did you?"

"Second thoughts? Never, but then I've been married four times." The ursinoid general chuckled warmly at his own joke. "Come along, old snake. If I don't have you there on time, your wife-to-be has promised to skin me for a rug!"

* * * * *

"Captain?" Zora said, discreetly interrupting Jaikira's conversation with her cousin. "The memberrrs of Nomad arrre taking theirrr places. Jez and I must go now. Will you be all rrright?"

"Go ahead, Zora," Jaikira said with a nervous smile. "Tyra should be here shortly. Please find Zeerod and show him in, will you?"

"On my way, captain."

"I'll hang around and keep you company," Kaavon said amiably. "It's going along swimmingly, cuz. I don't know why you're fidgeting."

"You'll know soon enough," Jaikira sighed.

The door opened and they both looked towards it anxiously. With a whirring of his servos, Zeerod entered the antechamber. The old soldier had taken great pains with his appearance and wore his dress greens with style and panache. "My word!" he exclaimed at his first glimpse of Jaikira. "This will be a rare treat!" He grinned and nudged Kaavon. "First I get to walk in with this radiant creature on my arm and then I get to see the major become totally unglued." He beamed at Jaikira. "Have I ever told you how delightfully entertaining you are?"

"My daughter has always had a fine stage presence," Kaathera said as she swept into the room. She was dressed in an elegantly cut gown of rich royal blue with an intricately patterned sash of red that was draped across her chest and over her shoulder. "I am the Lady Kaathera," she announced succinctly. "Are you the escort?"

"Madam, I have that most singular honor," Zeerod intoned grandly, bowing low to Kaathera. "Legionnaire Zeerod, at your service."

Kaathera studied him carefully, pursing her lips disapprovingly at his cybernetic parts but raising her brows at the medals on his chest. "You received the Nebular Star?"

"Yes, milady," Zeerod answered blandly, "during my tour with the Union Regulars. It's one of the few commendations from my previous career that I'm allowed to wear as a legionnaire."

She glanced at his mechanical feet. "You will try not to step on the veil, will you not? It's a family heirloom and very delicate."

"I will do my very best," he replied with a small bow. "Fortunately, I plan on a stately and dignified walk up the aisle with Captain Jaikira."

"See that you do." Kaathera turned her attention to her nephew. "Kaavon." The tone of her voice was glacial.

"Auntie?" Kaavon gulped and tugged at the collar of his good suit. "How very nice to see you here."

"You will escort me," Kaathera said imperiously, "so stay close and don't go anywhere."

He leaned towards Jaikira. "You know, it's not too late to elope."

She sighed heavily. "Gods, I wish!"

Kaathera beckoned to the soberly-dressed Jentekian female that had followed her and Jaityra into the room. "Taiba, come with me. Tyra, give Kira her bouquet. I'll be right back." She swept from the room.

"Kira?" Jaityra slid up to her with a spray of artfully arranged orchids in her hands. She was dressed in a similar fashion to her sister, but less ornately as to not outshine the bride. "Oh, Kira, I'm so sorry!"

Jaikira gave her sister a puzzled look. "What?"

"I wanted to call you last night but she locked down all the comunits but hers." The younger female was nearly in tears. "Mother's been meddling! She contacted everyone associated with your wedding and changed all the arrangements. Apparently she brought a lot of things with her from home, just for this occasion."

"Zeerod...?" An unspoken demand was growled out between Jaikira's clenched teeth.

"Oh, dear," the old soldier murmured. "I knew there was a reason why I should have packed a sidearm."

* * * * *

The members of Artemis marched in two by two, led by Lt. F'marrl and a tiny Thracian that Sarigar almost didn't recognize until he saw the slight raised edge of the synthbox at her throat. Without her full-face helmet, Jez Shivblade looked like a delicate, if chronically hostile elf. Her face was heart-shaped with a hint of a dimple in each cheek and her hair was short except for a long strand spiked with steel balls that was draped over her shoulder.

Glancing at his men, Sarigar nearly laughed out loud at Jugger's reaction. The psychotic Thracian had gotten off on the wrong side of Jez from the beginning and had countered her hostility by openly speculating on how ugly Jez probably looked like without her helmet. Dumbfounded and slack-jawed, he was now staring at Jez and mouthing the word, "Damn!" over and over. Jez caught him gawking at her and discreetly flipped him an obscene hand gesture. Jugger grinned back without being the least bit intimidated.

Trillian Gokk nudged him gently. "I think someone decided to change the script."

Traditional Jentekian music began to play with an opening cascade of harps, blending with chimes and flutes. Sarigar winced; this was not what he and Jaikira had discussed at all -- a simple Legion ceremony with no frills. It was only by force of will that he was able to keep his tail spikes from flexing. A murmur of voices went up and he glanced back to see a demure Jentekian maiden undulating up the aisle, not Jaikira, but a relation with similar markings. She was dressed in a rich reddish brown sari over a gold underskirt. The delicate garment had intricate gold threads interwoven through it that highlighted her waist-length hair and she was scattering tiny, fragrant blossoms of ivory and pink. As she approached Sarigar and General Gokk, she kept her head lowered respectfully.

"Sarigar?" she said in a low voice. "I do not know if Kira mentioned me, but I am Jaityra."

"Yes, you're her younger sister that entered the Conservatory a few years ago," Sarigar said in relief. "She reads bits of your letters to me -- she's very proud of you."

Jaityra smiled but kept her head bowed as was proper and continued to toss flowers about. "Kira wants you to know this is NOT her idea, or mine for that matter!" She rolled her eyes and shuddered just like her older sister. "Last night Mother begged to let her do something for the wedding and Kira agreed to one small thing, but like most things Kaathera gets her hooks in, it got out-of-hand."

He closed his eyes. "Oh, no."

"So our mother fully intends to ram a traditional Jentek wedding with all the regalia down your throats whether you like it or not." Jaityra sighed. "Kira says that if you'd like to pull a gun on Mother, she'd be grateful."

A bell rang out and Jaityra turned on cue in a tight coil, sliding into her place on the far left of the Legion chaplain. He was staring at the ornate book that had just been handed to him by a half-caste Jentekian female. "Major," he said in quiet desperation, "I can't make heads or tails of this."

"Just do the service the way the major originally requested it," General Gokk told the chaplain. "The book can sit on the altar and look impressive." He put a massive hand on Sarigar's shoulder. "I can see that I've got some best man duties to perform. Stay here." Halfway down the aisle, Gokk addressed the assembled Legionnaires in a barely audible but urgent voice. Jugger Grimrod and Jez Shivblade instantly stood up and followed Gokk from the room.

"What's he doing?" the chaplain asked curiously.

Sarigar closed his eyes and tried futilely to quell the incessant throb in his forehead. "I believe the general has gone back to shoot my mother-in-law."

The chaplain blinked all six of his eyes. "That's quite a wedding gift."

There was a brief outcry from the antechamber that was promptly overruled by a curt parade ground bellow that drew curious stares from the wedding guests. A few minutes later General Gokk returned triumphantly, holding open the door for Kaavon and an older Jentekian female who had to be Jaikira's mother, Kaathera. The resemblance to her older daughter was uncanny but her facial markings made her face look like the mouth of a striking snake. As she came closer, Sarigar could see daggers in her almond-shaped eyes. Jugger and Jez followed behind like a matched set of bodyguards, clearly there as insurance against further interference. Sarigar bowed solemnly to Kaathera, in hopes of staving off any hard feelings but she returned his courtesies with a cold nod.

Gokk looked smugly at Sarigar. "Well, that's one tough old broad," he murmured as he took his place again, "but Shivblade's riding shotgun on her and Grimrod's backing her up. I would've offered Jaikira a weapon but damned if I'd know where she'd put it."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Gokk grinned as the music resumed with a flourish. "Now, take a deep breath because unless I miss my guess, this is your bride is coming in."

Turning, Sarigar composed himself to expect something spectacular and as result as, was totally unprepared for the first glimpse of his bride. He almost didn't recognize her gliding towards him on Zeerod's arm. The old soldier was decked out in his full formal gear including one or two impressive medals from his days in the regulars but it was Jaikira in her bridal finery that outshone the day. She was wearing an ivory silk ensemble consisting of a criss-crossed midriff top, a full pleated skirt and a sari heavily-embroidered in silver and gold thread that wrapped around her waist, draped across her chest, and cascaded down her back. Several gold necklaces adorned her neck and a gold pendant dangled on her forehead where it was woven into the center part of her dark hair, which fell like black silk to her shoulders. She carried a spray of Thalusian orchids with delicate pink veins that glowed beneath the whisper thin veil that covered her from head to tail and flowed in the slightest breeze.

"Close your mouth," Gokk advised. "You look like a fish."

Glowering briefly at his best man, Sarigar put on his best command face but it was all he could do not to be totally bewitched by her. Jaikira knew very well the effect she was having on him, even though her eyes were kept demurely low. The self-possessing little smirk on her face was proof of that.

"We are gathered here," the chaplain began," to unite Major Sarigar and --" he paused to look a note handed to him by an aide, "Captain Jaikira, lady of the joint houses of Jai and Kaa --"

"What?" Sarigar asked incredulously under his breath. "You never said--!" He stared around Zeerod at her, completely stunned at Jaikira's formal ties.

"Mother must have put that in. Sorry!" Jaikira winced. "I was disowned -- I didn't have any right to the titles so I didn't tell you about it."

"Hoo boy," Torie said shaking his head. "The major's in for it now."

"Problem there is?" Meico inquired quietly.

"Sarivil told me a bit about Jentekian society," Torie whispered back. "They have a very highly structured caste system. Jaikira's family is about as elite as you can get on Jentek."

Up on the dais, Sarigar stared at his bride in dismay. "You're THAT highborn?"

"If I may interject here," Zeerod said hastily, "but what does any of that matter now? It doesn't change who she is or the way you feel about each other, now does it?"

The chaplain had continued, unaware of the hastily whispered conversation around him, because before Sarigar knew it, Zeerod had turned to him and said, "It has been an honor to escort your lady, sir. My best wishes to the both of you." He put Jaikira's hand delicately into Sarigar's and stepped aside.

"You're trembling," he said to her quietly.

"No, I'm not!" she whispered defiantly back. "I'm pissed as hell!"

Sarigar had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at his angry bride. He could only imagine how furious Jaikira was at this moment but he was grateful that her ire was directed at her mother and not at him. It was probably a good thing she was unarmed. He squeezed her hand reassuringly. Zeerod was right - he had fallen in love with Jaikira, not her family or her titles and nothing else mattered but this moment with her.

The ceremony itself went smoothly, in spite of Jaikira's mother making disapproving noises at their using a standard Legion service and not the more complicated Jentekian ritual. With Jez sitting besides her and Jugger standing nearby with his hand on his jacket holster, there wasn't much else she could do. The only part that was truly traditional was the exchange of the wedding bands. Sarivil had come through with not only their mother's betrothal bracelet but also with the matching antique gold bands that had been in their family for generations. She glided forward with a highly polished wooden box to present them.

Gokk handed Sarigar the bride's band with a smug nod. They'd discussed it and decided to say the ring vows in Jentekian verse. Sarigar hoped he wouldn't make a hash out of it when he finally got to look into her eyes. He focused instead on slipping first the wedding band, then the betrothal bracelet onto Jaikira's wrist with her sister's assistance in holding back the veil. The two ornaments clicked together as they were designed to do. Then it was his turn as Jaikira's cool fingers pushed back his jacket cuff and fastened the wide band around his left wrist. The significance of that gesture affected him more than he thought it would and as they raised their hands to heart level, palms pressed together and wedding bands touching, Sarigar found that what he originally meant to say just didn't seem to mean enough so he said the first thing that came to mind.

"Be the mistress of my heart," he said hoarsely, "for from this day forth, I will live only for thee and will devote myself to our life together. Thy passion has enslaved me, thy love has freed me, and only thou will make me complete."

"Command me not," Jaikira said as her eyes shone brightly, "but instead take what is freely given -- my heart, my soul, and my life. Thou alone have won me by the virtues of thy deeds, the integrity of thy soul, and purity of thy love."

Jaityra and Sarivil came forward as was traditional and lifted the veil from his bride, the impossibly fine fabric sliding down her back and billowing as they carried it down the aisle. The taller members of Artemis squad caught the edges of the veil and took their places to form a living canopy. Sarigar saw little of this -- all his attention was focused on one face. Jaikira's hand trembled against his.

The chaplain cleared his throat. "By the power invested in me by the Tophan Galactic Union and the Legion which serves it, I proclaim you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." He was a little late -- Sarigar had already pulled Jaikira into his arms and they were locked in a passionate embrace. Legionnaires began to cheer them from all over the room.

Gokk cleared his throat discreetly and rumbled, "Old snake, save some of that for the honeymoon!"

Jaikira smiled against his lips. "He has a point, Gar."

"Do you think your mother's mortified enough?"

"Oh, most certainly."

****

**_To be continued in Chapter XVII1: New Beginnings_**


End file.
